Here Is History Of Nigerian Education System

Nigerians value education a lot. Education in Nigeria did not start when the Europeans came; education had been part and parcel of this country long before those Europeans brought in western form of education to the African West coast.

In those days, children were taught by the adults about the works, survival skills, social activities and culture that prevailed in those days.  While the western form of education is being imparted formerly, these other forms of education were taught to the children in informal manner. Be that as it may, they achieved their expected end.

Despite the fact that the western form of education had not come in those days, there were some Nigerian societies that taught their kids about cultures, social responsibilities and other things in formal manner. This is to say Nigeria was an organized entity long before the Europeans came. For example, the children and youth of those days were taught about rite passages and a host of other things in rather formal manners. They might not be able to read and write European letters, but they had grounded knowledge about their cultures and societal practices.When the people from the western world came to Nigerian, they started building their own form of education on the already established cultural and societal backgrounds.

When it all began

It was in the 1840s; that was when the Europeans invaded Nigeria with their own form of education.  It all started in those coastal cities of Nigeria, like Calabar and Lagos, along with a host of other coastal cities.  Few decades after, many European schools were already established in these coastal cities with Nigerian students on admission in such schools. These students were taught mostly by European teachers, who taught them how to read and write. Mode of teaching in these schools was English language.

It must be noted that Great Britain, Nigeria’s colonial masters, did not contribute anything to education in Nigeria. Rather, it was the missionaries and churches that sowed the seed of western education in Nigeria. Only very few schools were funded by the British colonial masters in those days. However, many Nigerian graduates were allowed to study at universities in Great Britain on scholarships, many of which were given by the British government.

The British government was actually not interested in expanding western education in Nigeria; they were only interested in giving grant to mission schools to carry out such expansion.

Northern part of Nigeria is predominantly occupied by Muslims. In those days, the people of authority in this part of the country actually prohibited western education; they opted rather for Islamic education. Reason for such prohibition was because the religious leaders in this part of the country did not like the idea of the Europeans interfering with their religion.

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