As primary and secondary schools across Nigeria reopen for the 2025–2026 academic session today, state governments have made renewed promises to elevate the quality of education. With parents, pupils and teachers returning to classrooms, officials are emphasising improved learning environments, better teaching staff, and stronger oversight—vowing that the resumption will signal more than just the end of vacation, but a fresh beginning for Nigeria’s school system.
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Resumption Day: Mixed Anxiety and Hope
The corridors of public schools, in cities and rural areas alike, are buzzing again. Bright uniforms, packed books, anxious parents, and teachers greeting familiar faces—some smiling, others quietly assessing damage from months of closure. The uncertainty of recent years—whether strikes, funding gaps or infrastructural decay—has left many with lowered expectations. Yet, amid these anxieties, there is also genuine hope that today marks a turning point.
Some parents are concerned about dilapidated classrooms, overpopulated halls and the irregular payment of teachers’ salaries. Others worry about whether safety, hygiene and necessary learning resources have been sufficiently addressed. But state governments appear determined to ease these concerns with public commitments.
State Governments’ Promises to Raise the Bar
At the federal, state and local levels, government officials have made clear that the reopening of schools isn’t just procedural—it is an opportunity to reset standards. Among the most common pledges are:
- Teacher readiness and welfare: States say they have worked to ensure that teachers are present, trained (or re-trained), and in some cases paid up to date. Some states have drafted special induction workshops for staff to refresh pedagogical methods and familiarise themselves with updated curricula or policies.
- Improving infrastructure: From repairing broken windows, leaky roofs and crumbling walls to addressing sanitation (latrines, water supply) and classroom furniture, many states claim that works were fast-tracked during the break. Some also mention supply of textbooks and digital learning tools.
- Enforcement of policy and accountability: Officials promise more rigorous monitoring of school performance, both from state education ministries and Universal Basic Education authorities. Attendance tracking, lesson plan reviews, and inspections are being emphasised. In certain states, there is talk of using community oversight or parent-teacher associations more actively.
- Funding and budgeting: While Nigeria has long struggled with underfunding in education, several states have announced bumping up their allocations, or ensuring the release of withheld funds. Some governors have urged legislators to fast-track bills that protect education spending from delays.
These promises have come from various governors, state commissioners for education, and other stakeholders. In many instances, the assurances are tied directly to visible indicators: more teachers in class, fewer dilapidated buildings, textbooks in hand, and more consistent academic schedules.
Challenges Ahead: What Needs More Than Promises
Despite the optimistic tone from government quarters, analysts, school administrators, and parents warn that words must be matched with action. Several key issues are obstacles:
- Teacher absenteeism and shortage: Even with pledges of presence, some states still face glaring shortages of qualified teachers. In remote and rural areas, particularly, many schools struggle to attract or retain staff or fill certain subject specialisms (science, mathematics, technical subjects).
- Insufficient learning materials: Although many states claim that textbooks have been distributed, questions persist regarding their adequacy (one book per child), relevance (updated editions and local languages where needed), and supplementary materials (laboratory equipment, library resources, and digital tools).
- Infrastructural decay: Some school buildings remain unusable due to long-neglected maintenance; sanitation and water supply are still problematic in many communities. Without safe, clean, and conducive learning spaces, the quality of teaching and learning suffers.
- Financial constraints and delays: While some states have increased funding, disbursement delays or bureaucratic lag often mean that money does not reach schools in time. Corruption or inefficient procurement can compound these delays. Parents still face the burdens of PTA levies, school fees, and exam fees in some areas.
- Monitoring and accountability loopholes: Promise of inspection and oversight is good; execution is harder. Overseeing thousands of schools across big states, many in remote locations, poses logistical challenges. Ensuring that evaluations are transparent, sustained and without political interference remains critical.
- Socio-economic barriers: For many families, the cost of uniforms, transport, feeding, and other school-related expenses remains high. Also, in parts of Nigeria still facing insecurity or community instability, the physical safety of schools and students cannot be taken for granted.
Way Forward: From Promise to Performance
For the pledges to translate into real improvements, here are pragmatic steps that could make the difference:
- Timely release of funds and materials
States must ensure that budgets are not just approved, but that funds reach the schools quickly. Similarly, textbooks, desks, and learning aids should be delivered ahead of or immediately after resumption, not months later. - Focused teacher development and support
Ongoing training (not just during term renewal), supportive supervision, performance incentives, and clear feedback mechanisms can help keep teachers motivated and effective. Also, ensuring salary payments are regular, especially in states that struggle, can build trust. - Community and parental engagement
Empowering Parent-Teacher Associations, community watchers, and local education committees fosters transparency. Parents should have mechanisms to flag issues (e.g. teacher absence, infrastructure deficits) and insist on remediation. - Data-driven monitoring and evaluation
States should collect data on attendance (both teachers and students), learning outcomes, infrastructure status, and resource availability. These metrics should be publicly shared to drive accountability. Use of technology (mobile apps, remote monitoring) can help, especially for remote schools. - Prioritising rural and underserved areas
Special attention is needed for schools in rural, frontier, and marginalised areas. This might mean extra incentives for teachers, better infrastructural investment, mobile learning centres, or partnerships with NGOs to fill gaps. - Policy consistency and transparency
Education policies should not be subject to abrupt changes without stakeholder consultation. Processes for procurement, hiring, evaluation, and promotion should be clear. Also, avoiding diversion of education funds for other purposes is essential.
Conclusion: A New Academic Year, A Chance to Deliver
Today’s school reopening is more than a calendar event. It is a moment of test: can state governments translate their pledges into measurable, sustainable improvements? Can teachers, parents, and learners finally see visible change in quality, safety, and learning outcomes? If so, the disruption and concerns of previous years might be beginning to fade.
For thousands of pupils, especially those in public schools, returning to class is a chance to reclaim normalcy, safety, respect for learning, and hope. For teachers, it is an opportunity to make an impact, to be supported, to be recognised. For the state governments, it is a moment to prove that the investment in words matches what happens on the ground.
As the new session begins, the country watches. And for education to truly improve, it must be that the difference between promise and performance must narrow sharply.
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