***Blames falling education standards on lack of qualified teachers
A retired university lecturer and education consultant, Professor Mustapha Ibrahim Lemu, has called on the Federal Government to reintroduce Teachers’ Training Colleges, describing their abolition as a major factor in the decline of education standards across Nigeria.
Delivering a keynote address in Minna on Monday during a farewell colloquium in honour of the outgoing Provost of Niger State College of Education, Professor Mohammed Yakubu Auna, Professor Lemu said the quality of teacher education must be urgently addressed to reverse the downward trend in the country’s education sector.
“Teachers’ education in Nigeria requires a total overhaul. We need deliberate and strategic actions to reverse the negative narrative surrounding the adequacy and quality of teachers in our schools,” he stated.
Speaking on the theme “Educational Pyramid and the Needs of Society: The Missing Link,” Lemu warned that professional development for teachers must be taken seriously if the country is to make any meaningful progress in education.
He lamented the neglect of basic education, which he described as the foundation of all learning, and expressed concern over the growing influence of private individuals in both basic and tertiary education.
“Basic education has been left in the hands of private individuals, and now we are witnessing the same trend at the tertiary level with the proliferation of private universities. While private participation is welcome, public institutions must not be allowed to suffer,” he cautioned.
Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, echoed Professor Lemu’s concerns, calling for urgent and deliberate government intervention at all levels to rescue the sector.
“The current state of education in Nigeria is unacceptable. We must declare a state of emergency and take immediate steps to get it right—because education is the foundation of every form of development,” he said.
He commended Professor Auna for his eight years of transformative leadership at the College of Education, noting significant progress in both academic performance and infrastructure development.
“The college has remained true to its core mission of training teachers and promoting national values through education,” he added.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a 294-page book of selected essays in honour of Professor Mohammed Yakubu Auna, celebrating his contributions to the college and the broader education community.