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“There is nothing constant in this world but inconsistency.”
—Jonathan Swift
By Omoniyi Salaudeen
Nigeria’s ailing education sector is on the verge of another policy somersault, following new reform initiatives by the current Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
Since his assumption of office, policy changes in the education sector have been churned out with an alarming profusion, without corresponding focus on potential stability and successful follow- through.
One of his latest reform initiatives that is currently generating debate is the abolition of the credit pass in mathematics as a mandatory requirement for university admission (Arts/Humanities courses). The Federal Government, through the Minister, recently announced the reform to the National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Tertiary Institutions. The announcement followed a similar policy rejig, making the submission of undergraduate research projects/theses to the National Education Repository and Databank (NERD) mandatory for mobilisation for NYSC.
These controversial policies have ignited a heated debate regarding their potential impact on the country’s already declining educational standards, raising fresh concerns about the far-reaching and disruptive changes in the troubled education sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The proposed reforms underscore the extent to which policy somersault has become the major bane of instability in the education sector, mirroring the inconsistencies seen across almost every other sector of the Nigerian government.
Under the old policy regime, credit in Mathematics and English Language were generally compulsory; five credits in total, for admission into all courses. With the new introduction, Mathematics is no longer compulsory for students seeking admission into Arts and Humanities courses. However, Mathematics still remains mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses. English Language as well remains compulsory for all courses.
The proponents of this reform hinged their argument on the need to expand access to university admission by democratising the process. The statistics released by the government shows that out of over two million annual UTME candidates, only about 700,000 gain admission, a gap attributed to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements, particularly the compulsory Mathematics credit. The reform is expected to allow an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to gain admission annually.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) lent credence to the argument, stressing that the policy aligns with international standards where many Arts courses do not require Mathematics. According to the exam body, the initiative will help to prevent forgery by candidates trying to obtain a credit in a subject irrelevant to their field.
On the flip side, many educators, lecturers, and retired principals have expressed strong concern that the policy will further encourage laziness among secondary school students, weaken the overall academic foundation, and discourage the acquisition of essential numerical and critical thinking skills. Voices in support of the status quo strongly argue that basic mathematical and computational competence is necessary for modern life and any job, regardless of the degree (Arts or otherwise), and removing the requirement sends a wrong signal.
The mandatory submission of undergraduate research project to the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) for scrutiny before NYSC mobilisation is also at the front burner of national discourse. Unless otherwise reviewed, effective October 6, 2025, all graduates, Nigerian and foreign-trained, will be required to submit their thesis or final year project report to the NERD national database. The new government directive, authorities say, is a key part of the national strategy to combat certificate forgery and academic fraud. Therefore, proof of compliance with the NERD submission is now a mandatory requirement for mobilization into, or exemption from, the NYSC scheme.
While the government views the policy as a reform for quality assurance, critics see it as a mere bureaucratic hurdle. In defence of the policy, the government has explicitly stated that this reform aims to curb certificate racketeering, secure Nigeria’s intellectual property, and strengthen the credibility of higher education qualifications. To the policy planners, the submission serves as a quality assurance check and an independent proof of academic enrolment. According to them, the initiative is designed to raise the bar for academic content and presentation, as both the student and the supervisor’s names will be on a globally available digital platform. It is a measure to curb certificate fraud and ensure the credibility of higher education qualifications.
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While the core goal of the NERD policy—combating certificate forgery and raising academic standards—is widely praised, the implementation and scope have attracted several significant critiques and concerns.
Critics question the rationale of tying a major academic quality assurance measure, thesis submission, to a national service scheme (NYSC). While it provides a strong enforcement mechanism, it is viewed as an artificial, bureaucratic hurdle that could delay the start of national service or careers for otherwise qualified graduates.
The critics particularly focus on practicality, infrastructure readiness, and the perceived misplaced priority of focusing on the final submission of undergraduate research projects over addressing the foundational issues in Nigeria’s higher education system- funding, teaching quality, and infrastructure, among others problems.
Over the years, incessant academic strikes at the nation’s ivory tower due to funding problems have severely eroded global respectability for Nigerian graduates.
These are critical issues that require creative solution rather than a policy reform focusing only on the symptoms of the decaying educational standard the country has had to grapple with.
If the government is genuinely interested in improving the quality of academic research, the focus should be on providing adequate funding for teaching infrastructures, research allowances, grants, and improving the standard of university libraries and laboratories, rather than solely creating a mandatory repository for the output.
A major concern for this policy initiative is the readiness of the country’s digital infrastructure, particularly in tertiary institutions and rural areas. This is bearing in mind that many institutions and students, especially those in remote regions, do not have access to reliable internet, stable electricity and other necessary hardware to efficiently digitise and upload large thesis documents.
Digitising vast quantities of academic records places logistical and financial burden on universities that are already resource-constrained.
While the policy provides a strong enforcement mechanism, it is viewed as an artificial, bureaucratic hurdle that could delay the start of national service or careers for otherwise qualified graduates.
Additionally, submissions from hundreds of thousands of graduates simultaneously, potentially leading to technical issues, delays in NERD Clearance, and consequently, delays in NYSC mobilization.
It is worth noting that Nigeria’s declining standard of education is not due to a lack of policy reform but inconsistency in implementation. The dwindling trend in the standard of education reflects the sudden policy reversal, abandonment, or inconsistent implementation by successive governments or even the same administration, resulting in profoundly negative implications for national development efforts. Often times, policy reversals are so highly politicised that new leaders reverse their predecessors’ policies simply because they originated from a rival political group.
In the current scenario, the introduction of the new reform policy is a sad reminder of the failure of successive administrations to consistently implement educational policies, like the Universal Primary Education, 6-3-3-4 policy or new curriculum structures which has denied the country the intended benefits—such as skilled manpower and teacher development- leading to a declining standard of education.
To salvage the situation, what the country needs at this time is not haphazard policy initiatives Alausa is churning out at an alarming rate, but a holistic approach that is practical, implementable, and comprehensive.
