THE ADVENT OF WESTERN

EDUCATION IN
THE NATURE, SCOPE AND PROCESSES OF TRADITIONAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
THE ISLAMIC SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN
THE ADVENT OF WESTERN EDUCATION IN
THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
INTRODUCTION
You will recall the historical development of Islamic education in Northern Nigeria, which,
started as early as the 11th century, and the impact of the system among Nigerians even today
when formal education seems to be accorded more prominence.

The Western Education system,on the other hand started in the Western part of the country in the
first half of the sixteenth century. The factors responsible for the introduction of the system were
not indigenous but trade. The desire of the foreign Christian Missionary to “liberate” Africans
from what they called “the dark mind, barbarism and idolatry war mainly to further their trade
mission” (Aloy, 2001). This they pursued vigorously competing with each other through the
establishment of schools and colleges.

In this unit, a careful presentation is made of the history of the western education in Nigeria, the
trends in its development and the relevance of the system to the overall l development of the
country. Attempt is also made to relate the system to the experiences of the traditional and
Islamic education systems that existed collectively and separately in the North and Southern
parts of the country. The common ideals shared by the systems in the advancement of education
in Nigeria, most of which were re-echoed by the National Policy document on education, are
presented.

THE COMING OF WESTERN EDUCATION TO NIGERIA

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
(i) outline the detailed history of western education in Nigeria;
(ii) Examine the objectives and relevance of the system to the educational development of the
country;
(iii) Assess the significant impact the system had on Nigeria; and
(iv)Establish the relationship of the system with the traditional and Islamic goals of education in
Nigeria.

The aim of the missionaries who brought western education to Nigeria was almost similar to the
Muslim Arabs that brought Islamic education into Northern Nigeria centuries before.
The only initial difference one might notice was the desire for economic activities by the Arabs.
The Christian missionaries on the other hand avowed to, according to Aloy (2001),“liberate the
dark minds of the Africans from barbarism and idolatry.” The economic and political factors
came much later.
The history of western education in Nigeria was traceable to the Portuguese traders who came to
Benin in the early part of the 15th century. Then, they taught the children of the Oba of Benin.
However, no meaningful development of western education which was not accepted took root
until late 18th and early 19th centuries.
However, the history of meaningful Western Education in Nigeria is traceable to the activities of
the Christian missionaries, which started in 1842. Accounts of this historical event were given by
numerous educationists. Among them were, Taiwo, O C (1980), Adesina, S (1988),Fajana, A
(1978) and Fafunwa (1974) to mention but just a few.

The mission responsible for the introduction of western education in Nigeria was the
Wesleyan Methodist Society, which opened the Christian mission station at Badagry, near
Lagos. The activities of this society were facilitated by an ex-slave of Yoruba race by name
Ferguson who had earlier returned to the area. It was him that succeeded in persuading the
Yoruba chiefs to bring the missionaries from Sierra Leone into Badagry. This effort saw the
coming of Thomas Birch Freeman and Mr. and Mrs. De Graft in September, 1842 under the
auspices of the Wesley Methodist Society to establish the first ever Christian mission station in
the area. You should note as mentioned above that prior to this time, as early as 1472,there were
pockets of literary activities going around the palace of the Oba of Benin, who had engaged the
Portuguese Catholic missionaries in the training of his sons and the sons of his chiefs.

Fafunwa (1978) observed “the Catholics, through the influence of the Portuguese trader were the
first missionaries to set foot on the Nigerian soil. They established a seminary on the Island of
Sao Tome, off the coast of Nigeria as early as 1571 to train Africans as church priests and
teachers.” From Sao Tome, he continued, ‘they visisted Warri where they established schools
and preached the gospel.”The effort of the Wesleyians Methodist Society was further
consolidated by three missionaries of the Church Missionary Society who arrived Badagry from
where they later moved to Abeokuta. On the team were Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, (later
Bishop), Mr.Henry Townsend and Mr. G.A. Coll man. Samuel Ajayi Crowther settled at Igbehin
and established two schools – one for boys and the other for girls, while Townsend settled in
Ake, another part of the town, where he built a mission house, a church and a school. This was
the beginning of real rivalry among the Christian Missions in Nigeria. The Methodists, who
started the first evangelical work inNigeria, did not take this news kindly and so decided to send
a lay of missionary to Abeokuta to commence work there.As the Catholic Mission Society was
consolidating its activities around Abeokuta and Badagry and “extending its evangelical
programmes to other parts of the country, Samue Ajayi Crowther opened the first school in
Onitsha in December 1858 for girls between the ages of 6 and 10.” (Fafunwa) Down Calabar and
Bonny, developments in the introduction of Western education by the Church Mission Society
missionaries were taking place. The chiefs of the area were,however, not interested in the
evangelical activities of the missionaries, but would rather want their children to be taught how
to gauge palm oil and other merchantile businesses as trading was the main interest of the people
of the area. The missionaries had no option but to accept the people’s wishes.The Presbyterian
Mission also made their presence known in 1846 and established mission house. Another Baptist
convention established itself at Ijaye Abeokuta in 1853. The society of the African mission
similarly arrived in Lagos and established their mission in 1868.Unfortunately, however, said
Fafunwa (1978), “each denomination emphasized its own importance and spared no pains at
proving that one denomination was better than the other”.As these denominations moved further
into the hinterland, they established schools for the training of the catechists and teachers.

THE CONTENT FEATURES OF EARLY MISSION SCHOOLS

The missions of the early mission schools were to evangelized and convert Nigerians into
Christianity. They, however, believed that this was not possible except through formal
educational process that would enable the natives read and write. This was the bases upon which
the need for the establishment of mission schools was conceived and pursued vigorously
alongside their main objectives. At the established schools, children were expected to receive
tuition in English education at suitable age, be apprenticed in useful trades/skills in gardening
and agriculture etc. The most serious and promising youths were considered for further education
that would prepare them as school teachers in the interior,catechists and ministers.The
curriculum and methods of studies were almost similar to the Qur’anic schools, observed
Fafunwa (‘78). “Rote-learning predominated and the teacher taught practically every thing from
the one textbook! The Bible, like the Qur’an, he continued, was the master text book and every
subject no matter how remote had to be connected in some way with the holy writ.” In addition
to these contents, children received formal training in writing, arithmetic, reading and singing.
‘When there was a lady teacher, the girls learnt sewing.’No tuition was charged initially in
missionary schools. Children who cared to come were welcome. Admissions were attracted by
the missionaries through various means, which included door to door visits to ‘persuade parents
to send their children to school’, some parents were insisting payment from the missionaries
before allowing their wards to attend such schools. The parents considered it a big sacrifice
allowing the children to attend school instead of the farm. At a certain time, some stipends were
suggested by the mission teachers for school children living at home as an inducement to make
them regular at school.
Questions
1. Account for the introduction of Western Education in Nigeria between 1472 – 1868.
2. Outline and discuss the aims and content of the early western education system in
Nigeria and explain the methods through which these aims were realised.
3. What were the difficulties encountered by the early missionaries in getting the children of the
natives to enroll in their schools? How did they overcome these difficulties?

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN EDUCATION

Decades after the introduction of western education in Nigeria, education had remained under the
control of the Christian Missionaries. Government was unwilling to participate in the system in
part or in total. The sources of funds for the mission schools mainly came from donations from
groups and individuals outside the country, including local Christian and parents who were later
paying for their children. The bulk of the contributions were from the grants from the main
missions abroad. In 1877 however, government decided to give unconditional grants to the
mission school, which was used only to proliferate mushroom schools in villages. Thus, the
conditions of the schools remain bad. There was acute shortage of teaching and learning
facilities. “The Blackboards, chalks and slates were in short supply and the primers were largely
religious tracts or information unrelated to local background”, observed Taiwo (1980).
Arising from the petition of the Secretary of State for the colonies, the Gold Cost colony, of
which Lagos was part thereof, a bill for the promotion and assistance of education was passed
into law.The provisions of the bill provided the basis for the establishment of the General and
Local Boards of Education; each with its powers. It also categorized schools into public and
assisted schools. The former being financed squarely by public funds and the later assisted(grant
aided) from public funds as well.The bill approved the freedom of parents concerning the
religious freedom of their children,specified how the grants should be used which were mainly
for school buildings and payment of teachers’ salaries.The conditions for the eligibility of the
grants were also spelt out. They included effective managerial control, attendance of children in
such schools and the examination results in specified subjects. Other provisions of the bill
provided for the appointment of an inspector,special grants to industrial schools, admission of
indigent children into Government and public schools and grants to training colleges and
institutions for teachers.

In 1877, an education ordinance for the colony of Lagos came into being. The provision of the
ordinance laid down some principles, which became the foundation of the education laws for
Nigeria.
The provisions, as listed by Taiwo (1980) are:
1. The constitution of a Board of Education, comprising the Governor, members of the
legislative council, (which was then a small body), the Inspector of Schools, the
Governor’s nominees not exceeding four in number;
2. The appointment of Her Majesty of an Inspector schools for each colony, a sub-inspector of
schools for the colony and other education officers.
3. Grant in aids to schools and teacher training institutions.
4. Power of the Board to make, alter and revoke rules for regulating the procedures of grant-in-
aid.
5. Rates and conditions of grant-in-aid to infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools and
industrial schools, based partly on subjects taught and partly on the degree of excellence in the
schools.
6. Safeguard as to religious and racial freedom.
7. Certificate of teachers.
8. Admission into an assisted school of pauper and alien children assigned to it by the Governor.
9. Establishment of Scholarships for secondary and technical education.
10. Power of Governor to open and maintain Government schools.
A careful examination of the ordinance will reveal the re-echoing of the provisions of the 1877
provisions and the intention of government to participate with the missionaries as partners in the
provision of education to Nigerians.

The years 1889-1906, witnessed gradual development of the dual education, in which
Government participated more and more alongside the missionaries in providing education in
Nigeria.This experience helped immensely in the administration and management of education
later in the colony and protectorate of Southern Nigeria. Not only had the number of schools
increased during the period, the curriculum of the schools also became diversified to include
subjects like geography, history, Yoruba language, drawing and sewing for girls. Others include
Latin, Greek, mathematics, photography, book keeping, botany, chemistry, physics,French,
physiology, national history, to mention but a few.
The ordinances of the 1877, became re-in forced by another ordinance exclusively made by
Nigeria for the Southern protectorate in 1886. The provision of the ordinance spelt out in clear
terms the duties and responsibility of each party mentioned as a stakeholder. The provisions of
ordinance are:
1. There shall be a board of education for the colony. The board shall consists of the
Governor, the members of the legislative council, the inspector of schools and four
other members nominated by the Governor to serve for not more than three years.
2. It shall be lawful for the board with and out of the monies so placed at its disposal,
first to assist schools and training institutions and secondly to institute scholarships:
(i) to children who shall have attended primary schools in the colony to enable
them to proceed for secondary education;
(ii) to natives of the colony who shall have attended either primary and/or
secondary education in the colony to enable them to receive a course of
technical instruction with a view to the development of natural resources of
the colony.
3. No grant shall be made in aid of any school except:
(i) that the property and management of the school be vested in managers having
power to appoint and dismiss the teachers and responsible for payment of the
teachers’ salaries and of all other expenses of the school;
(ii) that the requirements of the board rules with regard to teachers being
certificated be satisfied in the case of the school;
(iii) that the school, in public examinations shall have attained the requisite
percentage of proficiency;
(iv) that the schools at all times be open for inspection by the inspector, the sub inspector
or any member of the board;
(v) that the school be open to children without distinction of religion or race;
(vi) that the reading and writing of the English language, Arithmetic and in the case of females,
needle work, be taught at the school and that English
Grammar, English History and Geography be taught as class subjects;
(vii) That, by the rules of the school, no child shall receive any religious instruction to which the
parent or guardians of such child objects.
4. It shall be lawful for the board to fix different rates of grants for infant schools,primary
schools, secondary schools and also industrial schools respectively, and also in respect of
different degrees of excellence in the schools and in respect of different subjects of instruction.
5. The board may make a grant-in-aid of any training institution, in respect of every teacher
trained at such institution who shall have received at least two years instruction in the particular
institution. (Source: the Dev. Of Modern Education in
Nigeria).

The impact of this first indigenous education ordinance developed for the Southern protectorate
was felt in at least five major areas:
1. The provision of the ordinance was more workable than the one of the 1877.
2. A more centralized form of education administration and management was suggested
by the ordinance, a policy that was immediately implemented by Henry Carr, who
was later made the Principal of Fourah Bay College.
3. A de jure basis of education, which virtually dealt with the skepticism against the
system by many Nigerians, was provided.
4. The Christian missions were forced to raise the quality/standard of education in their
schools by the provision of the ordinances if only to attract government grant-in-aid.
5. The expansion of schools was curtailed by the standard set by the ordinance which
was difficult to attain by the missionary schools.

WESTERN EDUCATION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Like you have learnt, the North was the seat of Islamic education. The values of the system were
already deeply rooted in the minds of the inhabitants who were predominantly Muslims.This
peculiarity, together with geographical terrains determined the pace of development of western
education in the region.

The Northern Emirs were less enthusiastic in adopting a system which they considered
as“enemy” to their faith. Consequent upon this, the Sultan was reported to have remarked as
follows:Based on the resistance of the Emirs, Lord Lugard, the Governor of the Northern region
persisted in warning the Christian Missionaries against the consequences that would result from
spreading Christianity in the area. His warnings to the Christian missionaries are contained in the
following words “I see no reason – why religion – be it of one sort or another should be forced
upon the natives – I see much in it to exasperate the Muhammadan master who considers himself
robbed of his property, that we may further a religious propaganda hostile to its creed.”
(Ibid).This skepticism notwithstanding, the system got way to the middle belt region of the
north.By the year 1913, only four schools had been established, one exclusively for the training
of the sons of the chiefs who would take over administration from their fathers and one for the
training of mallams. The aims of schooling were restricted to imparting academic knowledge to
produce literate ruling class and few educated people to assist the colonial administration.

Questions
1. Examine the implications of the Education Ordinance of 1877 to the development of
Education in Lagos colony.
2. Relate the Ordinance of 1877 with 1886 Ordinance and show how the two play a
complementary role to each other.
“I do not consent that anyone from you should ever dwell with us. I will never agree with you. I
will have nothing to do with you …(Adesina 1985).

SUMMARY
· This unit examined the trends in the historical development of western education in
Nigeria. The factors responsible for the introduction was purely religious – to convert the natives
to Christianity. This remained the primary aim of education until the coming of the education
ordinances of 1877 and 1886.
· The ordinances provided for the grant-in-aid to missionary schools and mandated government
to run and maintain public schools as well.
· Western education in Northern Nigeria was not welcome. It was greeted with some
misapprehension mostly from the fear that the Muslims might be converted to Christianity.
However, much later after it had been accepted in the Middle Belt area, the Northern Emirs
consented and allowed their children, who would take charge of administration after them to be
educated. In addition, education was provided for the training of people who would assist the
colonial administration as clerks etc.

Question
In a summary form, discuss the trends in the development of education in Nigeria.

REFERENCES
Adesina, S. (1988) The Development of Modern Education in Nigeria, Heinemann
Educational Books (NIG) LTD, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Fafunwa A (1974) History of Education in Nigeria, George Allen &Unwin Ltd, Great
Britain.
Taiwo, C.O. (1980) the Nigerian Education System – Past, Present and Future, Thomas
Nelson (NIG) LTD Lagos: Nigeria.
Ozigi A, and Ocho, L (1981) Education in Northern Nigeria, George Allen &Unwin, UK.

BACK NEXT: THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

TERM PAPER: HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS EDUCATION? Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the
acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods
include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research.
Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but learners may
also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings
and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts
may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.
Education is commonly and formally divided into stages such as preschool or
kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and then college, university or
apprenticeship. A right to education has been recognized by some governments,
including at the global level: Article 13 of the United Nations' 1966 International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes a universal right to
education. In most regions education is compulsory up to a certain age. Formal
education in Nigeria is traceable to the efforts of European Missionaries around
1842. Education at this time was regarded as of funda mental importance to the
spread of Christianity (Esu 1997). Thus, education introduced at this early stage
was interwoven with Christian evan gelism. The missionaries established and ran
the early schools in Nigeria. They also designed the curriculum for such schools
and devoted their mea gre resources to the opening of schools for young Nigerians
All missionaries who came to Nigeria combined evangelical and educational work
together. Consequently, early mission schools were founded by the Methodist
Church of Scotland Mission , the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and the
RomanCatholics. By 1882, the CMS. had seventeen elemen tary and infant day
schools for boys and girls in var 1 ious parts of Lagos. Nine of these schools were
under the direction of the Lagos Church of England School Board while others
were managed by the local board of the Church Missionary Society.
However, the spread of western education in the north was not as smooth as it was
in the south. This was because the north had enjoyed the Islamic system of
education for many years before intro » duction of western education. However,
efforts were made by different missions to open primary schools in the north (See
Table 6.2.2) The subjects taught in majority of the elementary schools includ i ed:
Scripture, English Compositions, English Grammar, Arithmetic, Geography,
Music, Singing, Reading, Writing, Dictation, and for girls Sewing (Fafunwa 1974).
The emphasis in the infant classes was on the teaching of the 3 Rs (Reading,
Writing and Arithmetic). The growth of schools was, however, limited by lack of
funds and sometimes parents' unwillingness to send their children especially girls
to school. Formal education in Nigeria began when the first primary school opened
its doors in 1843 in Badagry, Lagos. This school was then owned by the Methodist
missionaries, marking the first evidence of private sector stimulated delivery of
education in Nigeria. Following this, was the flag-off of secondary school
education in Nigeria by Christian missionaries with the establishment of the C.M.S
Grammar School also in Lagos in 1859. By the year 1914, when both the Northern
and Southern Protectorates were amalgamated, there were a total of 59 government
and 91 mission primary schools in the South; all 11 secondary schools except for
King’s College Lagos were run by Missions. Due to the pressure on the need to
have more schools across the Federation, additional schools where created by local
efforts in the 1920s to meet these needs. Since then, the private sector’s
involvement in education delivery across Nigeria has been on the increase. The
various bodies that constitute the major private sector elements involved in
providing basic, post-basic and higher education in Nigeria include; private
individuals, communities, corporations, foundations and religious bodies.
The growing confidence in private schools across Nigeria over the years has been
informed by the belief that these schools out-perform their public counterparts
particularly in the area of education. Also, owing to the peculiar nature of
education in Nigeria, most private schools are known to be consistent with their
academic colanders compared with public schools which are known for repeated
strikes and unstable time frames. While there is no doubt that the private sector has
contributed significantly to the growth of the education sector in Nigeria, it is also
a reality that there have been some challenges along the way. The efficiency and
effectiveness of private schools across Nigeria is marred by the lack of
accreditation and high tuition, as just some of the challenges facing private sector-
driven services in education. In Nigeria, basic education typically begins at the age
of six. This is comprised of six years of primary school and three years of junior
secondary school (JSS); the first nine years of basic education is mandatory. It is
equally pertinent to note that achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE),
Millennium.
CHAPTER TWO
HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

The concept of education in Africa was not a colonial invention, Prior to European
colonization and subsequent introduction of Western education, traditional
educational systems existed in Africa. The enduring role of education in every
society is to prepare individuals to participate fully and effectively in their world; it
prepares youths to be active and productive members of their societies by
inculcating the skills necessary to achieve these goals. Although its functions
varied, African traditional education was not compartmentalized. Fundamentally, it
was targeted toward producing an individual who grew to be well grounded,
skillful, cooperative, civil, and able to contribute to the development of the
community. The educational structure in which well-rounded qualities were
imparted was fundamentally informal; the family, kinship, village group, and the
larger community participated in the educational and socialization process.

In his Education in Africa, Abdou Moumouni affirmed that the educational process
essentially was based on a “gradual and progressive achievements, in conformity
with the successive stages of physical, emotional and mental development of the
child” (Moumouni 1968, p. 15). The medium of instruction was the native
language or “mother tongue” through which systematic instruction was delivered
by way of songs, stories, legends, and dances to stimulate children’s emotions and
quicken their perception as they explore and conquer their natural environment.
The African child was taught the various tribal laws and customs and wide range
of skills required for success in traditional society. Traditionally, education
received by Africans was oriented toward the practical. Work by Magnus Bassey
(1991) indicates that those who took to fishing were taught navigational techniques
like seafaring, the effects of certain stars on tide and ebb, and migrational patterns
and behavior of fish. Those who took to farming had similar training. Those who
learned trades and crafts, such as blacksmithing, weaving, woodwork, and bronze
work, needed a high degree of specialization and were often apprenticed outside
their homes for training and discipline. Those who took to the profession of
traditional priesthood, village heads, kings, medicine men and women diviners,
rainmakers, and rulers underwent a longer period of painstaking training and
rituals to prepare them for the vital job they were to perform.
Teaching was basically by example and learning by doing. African education
emphasized equal opportunity for all, social solidarity and homogeneity. It was
complete and relevant to the needs and expectations of both the individuals and
society. This is because it was an integral part of the social, political, and economic
foundation of the African society. However, the advent of the European
missionaries and the introduction of Western education through the mission
schools changed, in many fundamental ways, the dynamics of African education.
Western education soon took the center stage in Africa, debasing, challenging, and
supplanting the traditional, informal education along with its cultural foundations.
Before the British arrived in the early nineteenth century, there were two major
types of education in Nigeria. In the Islamic north, education was strictly religious
in nature. In each Muslim community, a mallam drilled children as young as five
years old in the teachings of the Qur'an and the Arabic alphabet. During the
colonial era, larger cities set up more expansive Islamic schools that included
subjects such as math and science. In 1913, these Islamic schools, almost all in the
north, numbered 19,073 and enrolled 143,312 students. In the 1970s the
government took control of the Islamic schools, but in the 1990s, the schools were
allowed to operate independently again. The indigenous system was the second
type of education before the British occupation. Students were taught the practical
skills needed to function successfully in traditional society. Usually children within
two or three years of age belonged to an age-group. Together, they learned the
customs of their community and were assigned specific duties around the village,
such as sweeping lanes or clearing brush. As the children grew older, the boys
were introduced to farming and more specialized work, such as wood carving or
drumming. Girls would learn farming and domestic skills. Boys would often enter
into apprenticeship-type relationships with master craftsmen. Even in the twenty-
first century, this kind of education is common. Formal, Western-type of education
was introduced by British missionaries in the 1840s. The Anglican Church
Missionary Society (CMS) started several schools in the mid-1800s. The colonial
government gave the church financial aid, but in the early twentieth century the
government began building primary and secondary schools. By the time the British
combined the northern and southern regions into one colony in 1914, a total of 11
secondary schools were in operation, all but 1 run by missionaries. There were also
91 mission and 59 government elementary schools.
Western education slowly entered the northern region. In 1947, only 66,000
students were attending primary schools in the north. Ten years later, the number
enrolled had expanded to 206,000 students. In the western region, over the same
period, primary school enrollment expanded from 240,000 to 983,000 students.
The eastern region experienced the most dramatic growth in primary enrollment
 during this period, jumping from 320,000 to 1,209,000 students. The number of
secondary school students in the entire nation grew much less dramatically,
increasing from 10,000 in 1947 to 36,000 in 1957. Most of this growth, 90 percent,
was almost entirely in the south. In the 1950s, Nigeria adopted the British system
called Form Six that divided grades into six elementary years, three junior
secondary years, two senior secondary years, and a two-year university preparation
program. Those who scored high on exit examinations at the end of Form Six
usually were qualified to enter universities. Although Nigeria celebrated its
independence in 1960, the second half of the sixties brought the chaos and disaster
of the Nigeria Civil War. After a long series of ethnic riots and killings against the
Igbo of eastern Nigeria, the Igbos seceded from Nigeria in May 1967, naming their
new country the Republic of Biafra. The war destroyed much of the nation's
educational framework, especially in eastern Nigeria. Biafra surrendered in 1970,
but the country never fully resolved the issues that led to the war. In 1976, Nigeria
passed a law making education compulsory for all children between the ages of 6
and 12. By 1980, approximately 98 percent (15,607,505 students) of this age group
were enrolled in primary school, up from 37 percent in 1970. The military and
civilian governments paid little attention to education, however, and the quality of
education deteriorated nationwide. By 1985, the country as a whole had 35,000
primary schools with fewer than 13 million students. Another 3.8 million primary
school-aged children lived on the streets. Conditions became progressively worse.
By 1994, the number of primary students in school had changed little, even with
the country's high birth rate. Secondary education fared worse than the other levels
of education. During the 1970s and 1980s, the majority of primary students
finishing sixth grade never went on to junior secondary school. Those who did
rarely went on to senior secondary school, and for those who were qualified for
higher education, very few openings existed in the 1960s. At independence, with
about 6,000 students, there were only six higher educational institutions in Nigeria:
the University Ibadan, the University of Ife, the University of Lagos, Ahmadu
Bello University, the University of Nigeria at Nsukka, and the Institute of
Technology at Benin. More universities and polytechnics were built in the 1970s,
and more students were able to go on for postsecondary education. In 1971,
approximately 19,000 students were studying in institutions of higher education.
By 1985, the number had increased to 125,000 students, but this still represented a
tiny portion of the population. Nigeria has since struggled through a series of
 military dictatorships that ended in May 1999 with the democratic election of
President Olusegun Obasanjo. The government seems determined to restore a
damaged educational system over the last two decades of the twentieth century.
The Western education system in Nigeria started in 1842 by the Christian
missionaries. This early activity was concentrated within the Lagos area (Badagry
and Abeokuta) with little effort beyond. The British Colonial interest began when
there was an empire problem between Kosoko and Dosumu in Lagos. The British
Government used the opportunity and bombarded Lagos in 1851 and in 1861;
Lagos then became a colony under British Government. Gradually, British
authority in Nigeria began to have interest in the education. This they did initially
through grants-in-aid and ordinances. This write-up explores the involvement of
the British colonial government in Nigeria education between 1872 and 1882.

CHAPTER THREE
THE REASON FOR THE DELAYED INTERVENTION OF THE BRITISH
WESTERN GOVERNMENT IN THE NIGERIAN EDUCATION
The era between 1842 and 1882 is regarded in history of Nigeria education as
period of exclusive missionary enterprise. Within this period the various
missionary organizations in Nigeria run the education according to their respective
philosophies, level of manpower available, as well as the availability of material
and financial resources. The Western government was silent over the educational
activities of the missions then. The noninterference of the British Western
government in Nigeria at the period under review could be attributed to the
following factors:
1. Political factor: Religious interest preceded political interest at this early British
contact in Nigeria. For instance the missionaries settled in Nigeria for pure
evangelical work in 1842. From this period until 1851and 1861 when Lagos was
bombarded by and ceded to the British government, respectively, there was no
British political control over any part of Nigeria. This means that the British
Western Government took over Lagos as a colony in 1861. It was then that she
became visibly present in the politics of the country;
2. British Government Policy on Education: In Britain then, education was
decentralized and the private and religious organizations were allowed to establish
and run schools on their own. The same attitude was upheld by the Western
authority in Nigeria;
3. Financial Factor: The British Western Government in Nigeria was not ready to
interfere on the establishment and management of schools, early because of the
cost effects (Amaele, 2003).
Minimal Grants-In-Aid
In 1872, the British Government released the sum of £30 to each of the three active
missionary societies in Lagos. These missionary organizations were the Church
Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Methodist and the Catholic. The money was
meant to support their missionary activities. This was the beginning of financial
grants-in-aid to education which became the major educational financial policy of
the Western government in Nigeria.
The grant was increased in 1877 to £200 to each of the said missions. This mount
remained an annual assistant till 1882. Due to the above little grant given to assist
the educational activities of the missions’ schools, the Western administration
decided to gradually intervene in the policy making in education, through what
they called education ordinance. But what actually, was the aim of Western
education in Nigeria?
Aims of Western Education in Nigeria
The Western education in Nigeria was purely elitist, utilitarian and conservative. It
differed slightly from that of the missionaries.

The aim of Western education could be broken into the following objectives:
1. To produce low level manpower that could be cheaply used as interpreters,
messengers, artisans and clerks;
2. To produce some indigenous youths who could help the rural farmers in
planting, harvesting and processing some needed cash crops which were exported
to Europe as raw materials to their industries;
3. To produce semi-literate citizens that could conform and be absorbed as
instruments for actualizing the British philosophy of Westernism (Nduka 1975).
CONCLUSION
The Nigerian education system started slowly but soundly developing during the
colonial time until the conclusion of World War II. The Christian missionaries
introduced the western education system in Nigeria in the mid-nineteenth century.
In 1990, three fundamentally distinct education systems existed in Nigeria - the
indigenous system, the Quranic schools, and formal European-style educational
institutions. Higher Education in Nigeria originated with the colonial government
launching the Yaba Higher College in 1934.
The Sarawak Chamber in Malaysia is the largest cave in the world is 2300 feet
(701 meters) long, 1300 feet (400 meters) wide, and more than 230 feet (70
meters) high. According to the 1979 constitution, education in Nigeria became the
responsibility of the state and local councils. The first 6 years of primary education
were made mandatory, which was a significant factor in the development of
education in Nigeria. There has been a noticeable upgrading of educational
facilities in Nigeria in recent years.
References
Adewale, J. A. (1985). A Handbook for Primary School Teachers and Headmasters. Ibadan:
Evans Brother (Nigeria Publishers) Ltd.
Akinbote, O., Oduolowu, E. and Lawal, B. (2001). Pre-primary and Primary Education in
Nigeria: A Basic Text. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers (Nig.) Ltd.
Akinpelu J.A. (1984) An Introduction to Philosophy of Education, Londn
Amaele, S. (2003) A Study Guide on History and Policy of Education in Nigeria. Ilorin:
NDEMAC (Nigeria Publishers) Limited.
Fafunwa, Babs S. (1991). History of Education in Nigeria. Ibadan: N. P. S. educational
Publishers.
Nduka, O. A. (1975) Western Education and the Nigerian Cultural Background. Ibadan: Oxford
University Press.
Osokoya. I. O. (1985) History and Policy of Nigerian Education in World

Osokoya, I. O. (1995) History and Policy of Nigeria Education in World Perspective Ibadan;
AMD Publishers. Perspective. Ibadan: AMD Publishers.