Saving Nigeria’s Classrooms: How Big Data Can Rescue a Generation From The Learning Crisis

In 1955, visionary Nigerian leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo declared, “Every Nigerian citizen must be educated at public expense to the limits of his natural ability, to enable him to be in the finest possible state to produce the utmost he is capable of.” Yet, seven decades later, this ambitious vision remains largely unfulfilled, with Nigeria struggling to provide quality education for even 60% of its population.

While numerous efforts and policies have been initiated to improve literacy rates in the country, Nigeria still lags behind several of its African counterparts. The World Bank reports Nigeria’s adult literacy rate at 61.3% in 2018, significantly lower than countries like South Africa (94%), Botswana (85.1%), Ghana (79.2%), and Kenya (87.4%). This disparity highlights Nigeria’s significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to quality education for all its citizens.

Nigeria’s basic education quality is alarmingly low, as evidenced by low demand and dismal academic outcomes. While an estimated 30 million children should be in primary school, a staggering 10 million remain out. Moreover, a significant portion of those enrolled are unlikely to complete even junior secondary school, revealing a severe gap in educational attainment.

The Nigerian education sector faces several challenges, including inadequate funding, crumbling infrastructure, and a severe teacher shortage. Insufficient government investment severely hampers the delivery of quality education, leading to dilapidated school buildings, a dearth of essential resources like textbooks, laboratories, overcrowded classrooms, and even basic amenities like electricity and running water.

This creates a severely impoverished learning environment that hinders student engagement and effective learning. This crisis is exacerbated by a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in rural areas, hindering effective learning and perpetuates a cycle of underdevelopment. Students suffer from inadequate instruction, limited access to quality learning materials, and a lack of personalised attention. This results in poor academic performance, stunted intellectual growth, and diminished opportunities for future success.

A well-educated populace drives economic growth through innovation and a skilled workforce. Moreover, quality education fosters social mobility, reducing poverty and inequality. It promotes civic engagement, strengthens democratic institutions, and cultivates a culture of tolerance and understanding. The late South African President Nelson Mandela’s assertion agreed with the above statement: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
The Nigerian education system hinders the ability of Nigerian youth to compete in today’s job market. In 2019, Leap Africa report highlighted a significant mismatch between university education and employer demands, with 67% of respondents dissatisfied with their university’s job-readiness. This systemic failure undermines the potential of the average Nigerian.

One reason for Nigeria’s economic woes is the absence of skilled and productive labour. The failings of the Nigerian education system directly impede economic growth by hindering innovation, productivity, and competitiveness in the global market. Nigeria’s social and political instability, lack of good governance, and insecurity are drawbacks of having a poorly educated population.

Technology has liberalised learning, as online platforms and programs can facilitate virtual and distance learning while making educational resources available to remote areas. Big Data can be a transformative addition to Nigeria’s efforts to solve its education problem.

Big data encompasses massive and complex datasets that surpass the capabilities of traditional data processing tools. These datasets are characterised by their volume, velocity, and variety, encompassing structured, unstructured, and semi-structured information. Big data analytics employs advanced techniques to extract valuable insights from this vast amount of data, empowering organisations to make more informed decisions, enhance efficiency, and gain a competitive edge.
Educational data forms a significant subset of big data, encompassing a wealth of information generated within the education system.

Educational data analytics offers essential insights into student learning. By examining data such as grades, test scores, and online learning activities, educators can pinpoint individual strengths and weaknesses, monitor progress over time, and assess the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. This data-driven approach enables educators to personalise instruction, adapting their teaching methods to meet the unique needs and learning styles of students.

Educational data analytics enables educators to make informed decisions based on data. By examining trends in student performance, educators can proactively spot students who may be at risk of falling behind and take timely action to support them. This data-driven strategy ensures that every student has the chance to succeed and achieve their full academic potential.

Big data empowers educators to revolutionise learning. By analysing student data, educators can personalise learning experiences, identify struggling students early on, and refine teaching methods. This data-driven approach also informs strategic decision-making. By optimising resource allocation and forecasting future student performance, educators can proactively address challenges and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.

An impressive case study is Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organisation that utilises big data to power its personalised learning platform. Khan Academy’s data-driven approach has enabled millions of students worldwide to learn at their own pace and master core academic concepts. The platform addressed learning gaps and improved student outcomes, especially in underserved communities.
In the US, Fulton County Schools, Georgia, saw a significant increase in graduation rates after implementing an early warning system to identify at-risk students, while The New York City Department of Education successfully reduced chronic absenteeism by 10% through data-driven interventions.

To get the full benefits of big data, investments by private and public institutions must be made in data infrastructure, including robust security measures to protect sensitive information. Policies must be made to ensure ethical and positive use of data, particularly student data. Also, the digital disparity among students from rural and urban areas must be bridged to ensure equitable access to technology and data for all students. Efforts must be made to train policymakers and teachers to ensure that they can utilise, interpret data and make reasonable decisions

In conclusion, to effectively address Nigeria’s educational challenges, data is paramount. By leveraging data analytics, the government can optimise resource allocation, improve teaching and learning, and track the progress of educational interventions, ultimately leading to more efficient and impactful outcomes.