Once upon a time in Nigeria, education was a ladder for the poor, a hope for the hopeless, and a path to a brighter future. Today, that ladder is broken. Education, once seen as a collective responsibility, has become a luxury item, accessible only to those who can afford the high gates of private universities. The foundation is crumbling, and no one seems to be looking down.
Across our land, public schools are in decay. Children sit on bare floors, write on their laps, and learn under leaking roofs. Chalkboards are faded, books are scarce, and teachers are underpaid and overburdened. Yet, instead of fixing the rot, many who once championed access to education for all have turned away. The philanthropists of yesterday are now the capitalists of today — owning private universities where the average Nigerian cannot even dream of sending their child.
Where is brotherly kindness? Where is the compassion that once moved men to build for the public good? The rich now build castles of learning only for the rich. The gates of these institutions are guarded not just by walls, but by tuition fees that mock the poor. We have created a nation where the poor are too poor to learn and too uneducated to rise.
And what of the government? The very institution tasked with protecting the rights of every citizen — including the right to quality education — has turned a blind eye. Year after year, budget allocations to education are slashed or mismanaged. Policies are made with fine words but no will. There is silence in the places where voices should thunder. The collapse is not accidental; it is the result of sustained neglect.
But we cannot afford to remain silent. We must remember that we are creatures of the same God — molded from the same dust, breathing the same air. When a poor child cannot read, it is not just his future that dies — it is our shared humanity that suffers. When one child is left behind, the whole nation is pulled backward.
This is a call to conscience. To the wealthy, the influential, the educated — remember the children who will never sit in your lecture halls. Remember the villages where the only school is a shade under a tree. Use your wealth to open doors, not build fences. Fund public education. Support local schools. Sponsor teachers. Give books, not just scholarships.
Let us rise and rebuild the broken walls of our educational system. Let us stop normalizing suffering. The destiny of our children — and the soul of our nation — depends on it.
#EducationCrisis
#FixNigeria
#BringBackCompassion
#EqualityInEducation
#NationBuildingStartsInTheClassroom