Alex Onyia, the CEO of Educare and an advocate for education improvement, has called for extensive reforms in Nigeria’s educational system, including the imposition of more stringent academic requirements for instructors and much higher pay.
In a series of social media posts on Monday, Onyia suggested that a master’s degree with at least a second-class upper division (2:1) in the first degree should be the prerequisite for becoming a teacher in Nigeria.
“The academic standards should be very high, and being a teacher should be something of great pride,” he stated. “This is what I would do if I were in charge.”
Along with offering a brand-new car that the instructor would eventually pay for, he also suggested raising the starting income from ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 per month.
Using Finland as an example, where all primary and secondary school teachers are required to have a master’s degree, he emphasized that “the best should train the coming generations.” This has a major impact on their education, which is among the greatest in the world. They pay their professors quite generously.
Onyia also suggested requiring teachers to renew their licenses every two years, subject to ongoing training and certification requirements.
However, opinions on the proposal have been divided.
A social media user, Mikail, said imposing such a criteria would disqualify more than half of schools in Nigeria, but added that pruning out substandard schools would help set higher benchmarks.
J. Opara backed greater standards but asked for flexibility, saying, “I think it should be a degree in Education or if you’re from a field outside education, you should do a PGD in education for one year.” Additionally, he supported international training linked to service bonds, subsidized health care and school fees for instructors, and home and auto loans.
“A bachelor’s degree holder is more than qualified to handle problems at the primary and secondary school levels,” stated Ikenna, another social media user, in response to the demand for a master’s degree. It has nothing to do with the degree class.
Kolawole, another user, emphasized the importance of actual teaching skills over academic credentials. “A demonstrated ability to impart knowledge should be the minimum requirement, not just strong BSc and PG grades.”
Concerns regarding accessibility and rural implementation were voiced by other observers. Georgevin Jr. stated that the plan might make education “more inaccessible,” while Holly Aboh questioned its viability in low-income regions such as rural Niger State.
Chyko emphasized that “Passion trumps certificates every day, twice on Sunday,” while others, such as @MsIfyAmana, urged for curriculum revisions and increased money for teacher training.
Furthermore, Adégòkè suggested more specialized B.Ed. programs rather than master’s degrees, adding, “₦300k/month for teachers with master’s degrees? Their salary need to be commensurate with the value they provide.
But Onyia stuck to his guns, saying that if the suggested changes are carried out, “Nigeria education will be transformed within a year.”
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