Why 21st century learning should be priority across all Nigerian states

BY SEMIYE MICHAEL

Education in Nigeria has long been evaluated through traditional metrics such as school enrolment rates, literacy levels, performance in national assessments, and infrastructure development. While these indicators serve as important benchmarks, they fail to address the larger goal of education in the 21st century: producing problem solvers who can thrive in a complex and rapidly evolving workforce. As the world shifts towards a future that values core and transferable skills, Nigeria must take bold steps to equip its teachers—irrespective of their state or school—with the capacity to deliver transformative learning experiences.

The current approach, often most advocated for by stakeholders and policymakers, is misguided in its focus on basic literacy and infrastructure alone. This article addresses why building teacher capacity to foster critical and transferable skills must be a national priority, rather than being confined to underperforming states.

Outdated notions of “educational progress”

When stakeholders argue that states with higher enrolment rates, better literacy levels, and improved school infrastructures are leading Nigeria’s education sector, they overlook a critical gap: these states are still producing graduates who lack critical problem-solving skills. A teacher’s ability to deliver transformative education goes beyond the number of students enrolled or classroom facilities. It lies in their capacity to foster core competencies like critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration—skills essential for navigating the complexities of the modern world.

In our recent interactions with over 500 teachers from Abuja, Lagos, and Kwara—states often considered educationally advanced in Nigeria—over 80% of these teachers acknowledged they had not received any form of training to deliver core, competence-based, and transferable skills in their classrooms. Even more striking, over 90% believed that their current teaching methods and curriculum do not prepare students for the future of work. These findings challenge the assumption that educational success can be measured solely by enrolment rates and exam scores.

The global call for 21st century skills

International frameworks, such as the World Economic Forum in their Future of Work Publication and UNICEF Transferable Skills highlight critical skills that will lead the world forward. These skills set new paths away from traditional teaching and learning and establish new evidence that the ability to read, write and speak taught languages definitely will no longer play many roles in driving personal and community economic development.

Recent research conducted by World’s Largest Lesson found that an increasing number of young people are frustrated with the lack of relevance of their formal learning, yet education systems and programs consistently fail to address these concerns and adapt their practices in line with global changes. These frameworks and findings emphasize the need for educational systems to produce individuals who are not just literate, but also capable of solving complex problems linked to sustainability, working in diverse teams, and adapting to new technologies.

In Nigeria, a mismatch exists between the education students receive and the skills the global economy demands. Today’s job market requires individuals who can innovate, think critically, and apply knowledge in real-world contexts to help drive progress towards a more sustainable world. This shift in the nature of work requires a new kind of teaching—one that nurtures problem-solving, collaboration, and digital literacy from the earliest stages of education. Yet, the majority of teachers in Nigeria, regardless of the state in which they teach, lack the training to impart these skills effectively.

The shift time for investment on teachers skill

While designing the NextGen Teachers Bootcamp which focuses on preparing teachers to become ready, willing, and able to deliver transformative learning experiences that equip students with the skills they need for the future, one that is inclusive and sustainable. Our goal is not just to teach students how to read and write but to turn classrooms into spaces where students develop a stronger sense of agency and become critical thinkers, creative innovators, and competent problem solvers.

As a matter of fact, when students are agents in their learning, they are more likely to have “learned how to learn” – an invaluable skill that they can use throughout their lives (OECD, 2019). This vision aligns with global best practices, which argue that basic literacy and university degrees alone are no longer sufficient markers of educational success. By concentrating efforts only on states with low academic performance, stakeholders risk perpetuating the idea that the education system is “good enough” in so-called leading states.

However, our engagement with teachers in Abuja, Lagos, and Kwara shows that even in these “advanced” states, the education system is not producing graduates who are equipped to solve real-world problems. Instead, these states, like others, are generating social literates—students with the ability to read and write but without the competence to innovate, critically analyze, or adapt to future challenges.

A national need for teacher capacity building

Nigeria’s educational system requires an urgent shift in focus. Rather than narrowing interventions to specific underperforming states, there should be a nationwide effort to build teacher capacity. Teachers across all regions must be equipped to teach the four Cs: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. These are the cornerstone skills for 21st century education.

Indeed, quality education is not just about imparting information; it’s about facilitating a learning experience that will give students the tools, the confidence, and the agency to become active, capable citizens and problem-solvers in our ever-changing world.

As our findings indicate, the majority of teachers in Nigeria, even in states perceived as educationally advanced, feel ill-equipped to deliver this kind of learning experience. This points to a national gap in teacher training that must be addressed if Nigeria is to prepare its young people for a demanding and competitive future of work.

Recommendations for stakeholders

National teacher training initiatives: A comprehensive, national approach to teacher training that emphasises 21st century learning skills should be implemented. Initiatives like the NextGen Teachers Bootcamp should be scaled and adapted to address this pressing need across all states.

Policy reorientation: The ministry of education and other education stakeholders need to shift their metrics for educational success from traditional indicators to more holistic measurements that assess the ability to deliver problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Curriculum reform: The current curriculum must be reformed to integrate core competencies and transferable skills that align with the future of work, as prescribed by international frameworks such as the World Bank and UNICEF.

Ongoing teacher development: Teacher development must be continuous, not a one-time training. A system that offers ongoing professional development opportunities, with a focus on problem-solving and 21st-century skills, is crucial for sustained progress.

Conclusion

Nigeria’s education stakeholders must recognize that true educational progress is not solely about improving literacy rates or exam scores. It is about producing students who can solve real-world problems, lead transformative systems change, and thrive in the global economy. The NextGen Teachers Bootcamp is committed to transforming teachers into facilitators of this kind of learning, but this vision must be embraced nationwide.

Without equipping teachers across all states with the training and skills to deliver 21st-century learning, Nigeria risks producing a generation that is literate but unprepared for the challenges of the future. The future of work demands a new kind of education, and it starts with the teachers who are shaping tomorrow’s leaders today.

Semiye Michael is a youth development and education reform specialist. He is the founder of the Development of Educational Action Network (DEAN Initiative). You can connect with him via [email protected]