Other African nations outpacing Nigeria, Obi of Onitsha laments

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, has warned that Nigeria is falling behind its African peers in human capital development and technological progress, blaming decades of institutional neglect, policy reversals, and poor execution.

Delivering a keynote at the 27th convocation of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) in Lagos, where he was conferred with an honorary fellowship, the monarch said the grim reality foreseen by former National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, 20 years ago has become even more pronounced today.

“Nigeria has suffered institutional neglect, policy somersaults and poor implementation,” Achebe said. “While other African countries are rapidly advancing with digital technology, we are still struggling to build the human capacity needed to compete.”

He identified chronic underfunding of education as a major drag on national progress. Over the past 25 years, Nigeria has committed just 7.81 per cent of its budget to the sector—less than half of UNESCO’s recommended 20–26 per cent. In 2025, combined federal and 22-state allocations dropped to 7.3 per cent, with only Enugu, Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa meeting the minimum benchmark. By contrast, Ghana (24.37%), Kenya (21.70%), Senegal (21.32%), South Africa (19.94%) and Morocco (17.61%) are investing far more heavily.

Achebe also drew attention to the widening gap between demand for higher education and institutional capacity. Two decades ago, over two million candidates competed for only 750,000 university spaces. With the population now estimated between 233 and 237 million, up from 140 million in 2006, this shortfall has deepened. The “Japa” brain drain, he warned, is further depleting the skilled workforce the country urgently needs.

Reiterating earlier calls for urgent reform, the monarch recalled his remarks at the 2024 launch of Chris Anyanwu’s book Bold Leap, where he likened Nigeria to a cow being milked dry by selfish politics, warning: “We either kill Nigeria or fix it.” He also urged President Bola Tinubu to convene a non-partisan national economic and security summit to address worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and the steady erosion of citizens’ well-being.

NAL President, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, stressed the importance of effective governance and the role of the humanities in shaping the digital revolution. He said humanists must work with technologists and regulators to craft policies on digital ethics, teach digital literacy in culturally relevant ways, and ensure technology serves African values.

Akinrinade listed Nigeria’s core challenges as underdevelopment, economic instability, socio-political crises, poor infrastructure, erratic power supply, inadequate roads and water systems, failing healthcare, food insecurity, environmental degradation, weak education, and entrenched corruption. He also lamented a declining value system reflected in poor leadership, low productivity, waning civic responsibility, lack of patriotism, and weak commitment to national aspirations, urging the Federal Executive Council to launch a national value re-orientation programme.

University of Lagos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, called for a cultural shift that celebrates integrity and achievement. “Until Nigerians are proud of who we are, we can never be great,” she said.