President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says access to education for Nigerians has expanded significantly over the past 65 years, from the country’s independence in 1960 to 2025.

In a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, Mr Tinubu said Nigerians today enjoy far greater access to education and healthcare than at independence.

“At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000,” the president said.

He noted that the number of secondary schools has now grown to more than 23,000 across the country.

Mr Tinubu also highlighted the expansion of tertiary institutions. “Nigeria had only two tertiary institutions at Independence – the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology. Today, we boast over 274 universities, 183 polytechnics and 236 colleges of education,” he said.

The president added that the country has witnessed “a significant surge in growth across every sector of our national life since Independence – in healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and defense.”

Struggling Education Sector

Despite the growth in numbers, the education sector continues to grapple with serious challenges. Nigeria’s tertiary institutions face chronic underfunding, frequent strikes, and disputes over unmet agreements.

Just two days before Mr Tinubu’s speech, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) issued a two-week ultimatum for the government to renegotiate a 16-year-old agreement that has remained unresolved since 2012.

At the basic education level, Nigeria continues to record one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally. Estimates range between 13 million and 20 million, worsened by insecurity and poor funding for basic education.

Mr Tinubu, however, urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, noting that the country has survived many trials over the years, including a civil war, military dictatorships, and political crises.

“In all these, we weathered every storm and overcame every challenge with courage, grit, and uncommon determination,” he said.