Addressing the Math Gap: Improving Nigeria’s Secondary School Curriculum to Prepare Future Economists

In Nigeria’s secondary schools, students are typically grouped into one of three subject streams: Science and Technology (Sciences), Humanities (Arts), or Business Studies (Social Sciences). This grouping is typically done at the start of senior secondary school. The system is intended to align students’ education with their intended career paths, ensuring they take subjects required for national examinations, such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). However, this well-intentioned structure can inadvertently narrow learning opportunities. A prominent example is that students placed in the Social Sciences stream who hope to study Economics at university are often unable to take Further Mathematics, a course where calculus, a fundamental skill for advanced Economics, is first introduced. This results in a likely gap in mathematical preparedness that scholars have called “the mathematics problem”. This challenge is not unique to Nigeria; many Economics students worldwide report being unprepared for the level of mathematical rigour required in their programmes. Evidence from the Economics Network Student Survey in Scotland, for instance, revealed that over 80% of students found their Economics degree involved far more mathematics than they had anticipated. Globally, studies have shown that a robust mathematical background acquired during secondary school is a crucial predictor of academic success and retention for students pursuing Economics at university. For instance, a study in Spain found that students from the Technological stream, which offers Advanced Mathematics, including more extensive math concepts and geometry modules, outperformed their peers from the Social Sciences stream at university, despite being the recommended stream for Economics Business students in secondary school. Similarly, research at the Erasmus School of Economics in the Netherlands demonstrated that science-preparatory students with strong math foundations achieved higher first-year credit attainment (45% vs. 30%) and lower dropout rates (under 25% vs. 45%) compared to non-science students. Collectively, these studies emphasise the essential role of advanced mathematics instruction at the secondary level in enhancing students’ academic outcomes in university Economics programs. 

Authors: Obiageli (Oby) Ekwunwa,  Adejo Moses Adejo, Chinecherem Jacinta Orji