CSEA Participates in Roundtable Discussion on Reforming Nigeria’s Education Sector

The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) participated in a high-level roundtable discussion on the reform of Nigeria's education sector. The event was hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), under  the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian Education (PLANE) Programme. The event took place at the Protea Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos on June 3, 2025. The roundtable convened key education stakeholders including Commissioners for Education, Permanent Secretaries, development partners, and technical experts to address the theme : "Excellence in Education: Tackling the Crisis of Underperformance."

Dr. Adedeji Adeniran, Director of Research at CSEA  presented a paper titled Perspectives on Learning Outcomes in South-West Nigeria: A Diagnostic and Alignment Analysis. His paper shed light on systemic barriers  affecting learning outcomes in the region and proposed evidence-based strategies for reform. Discussions  revealed persistent challenges  such as inadequate infrastructure, resistance from non-state school owners, overdependence on donor funding, lack of follow-up on past resolutions, flawed policies like mass student promotion, data gaps on unregistered schools, and growing parental pressure for early school completion.

In response, participants identified a set of shared  priorities including:  standardizing education quality, improving teacher capacity, enhancing data systems, fostering partnerships, and enabling states to access global education support programs. The roundtable discussion concluded with a unified commitment to address  the  underperformance crisis and build a resilient, high-quality and regionally coordinated education system.