Nigeria’s reported expenditure of $11.1 billion on overseas education between 2020 and mid-2025 has renewed calls for investment in domestic institutions, as education stakeholders prepare to examine ways of improving quality, research and graduate employability.
The issue is expected to feature prominently at the 2026 Nigeria Education Forum, scheduled for December 9 and 10 at the Abuja Continental Hotel. The summit is being organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders.
With the theme, “Education Import: Transforming Nigeria’s Education System for Local Impact and Global Competitiveness,” the forum will consider the implications of Nigerians spending billions of dollars on tuition, accommodation and other expenses associated with studying abroad.
Reports citing Central Bank of Nigeria data indicate that Nigerians spent approximately $1.39 billion on foreign education in the first half of 2025 alone. The figures have intensified questions about the ability of local schools, polytechnics and universities to meet the academic and professional expectations of students and their families.
Although international education provides opportunities for specialised training, exposure to different academic systems and cross-border collaboration, stakeholders are expected to examine how Nigeria can strengthen its own institutions and attract investment into the sector.
The forum is also expected to address persistent challenges affecting educational outcomes, including weak foundational learning, inadequate funding, limited research output, insufficient innovation, unequal access to schooling and the gap between graduates’ qualifications and labour market demands.
Nigeria’s demographic profile adds urgency to the debate. About 43 per cent of the population is under 14, while projections suggest the country could approach 400 million people by 2050. The World Bank’s Human Capital Index estimates that a child born in Nigeria today will attain about 37 per cent of their potential productivity, compared with approximately 45 per cent across sub-Saharan Africa.
With an estimated 3.5 million people entering the labour force annually, the education system faces growing pressure to prepare young Nigerians for employment and emerging industries.
Discussions are expected to focus on improving digital literacy, technical competence, problem-solving and vocational training, alongside reforms to teaching and research. Strengthening collaboration between government, educational institutions and industry could also help align training with workforce requirements.
The central challenge is to ensure that local institutions offer competitive education while building partnerships that allow Nigerian students and researchers to benefit from global knowledge. The forum’s discussions will therefore consider how international exposure can complement, rather than substitute for, stronger domestic capacity.
