Investor bemoans crisis in education sector in Nigeria, shows 3 things govt must do fast – Businessday NG

An education investor and founder of a higher school in Port Harcourt has not only bemoaned the lingering crisis in the nation’s education sector but has put forward three quick steps the government can take to rescue the situation.

Ekama Emilia Akpan, founder of the Showers schools including the Showers International Christian High School, advising that best graduating students should be made to go into teaching like it is done in most advanced countries.

She also called for period review of teachers to be sure that they deliver the right quality to produce graduates of quality in both academics and character.

Akpan, who said it is not every educated person that has the skill to pass knowledge pleaded thus: “Let money not be reason to go into teaching. Objective should be that no student must leave same he or she came to school.”

She this is done in medical schools to ensure that those who would practise medicine had care in mind instead of just the money. “They want to be sure you are in the right place. They assess you more on performance in the ward than in the classroom.”

On the crisis in education in Nigeria, Akpan, who is 20 years in managing education, said quality of teachers has been a problem because it, according to her, keeps dropping.

She said the urge to send babies as students to the university is an issue.

Another big danger she pointed out is the resort to what is termed smart learning by use of android phones, saying this is fast robbing children of ability for critical thinking. “To even get the teachers to deliver at these IT levels is a problem.”

To her, education must be rescued because that is what she said would save Nigeria.

Akpan, who spoke at the 2025 graduation ceremony of Showers schools Saturday, July 5, 2025, said her school is international because it combines both national and international syllabuses in forming her school’s curriculum.

She described the 2025 set of her school as ‘Class of Grace’ for the fact that the children are getting younger. “We started in 2004 but the size and quality of children graduating is getting smaller. Age and fast tracking have led to this. We are however working to ensure that the quality of education does not drop.

“We work hard to make them to defend their grades and prepare them to face the world. Our slogan is, if you fail, you get up. The important is that your certificate must be merited, and this has been a big challenge.”

On three things that she said stand Showers schools out, she mentioned zero-cheating. “We do not cheat. We stand on the foundations of Godly virtues, then character and integrity. The students that have passed through here stand out. We do not do much of adverting. The quality and character of our students speak for us.

“Finally, we do not have large student population. This gives us direct and close marking of every student. So, every child counts.

“We do not insist on admitting the most brilliant, no, we take every child because we believe every child can learn and improve. Every child has a gift; find it. It is easier for us to monitor each child.”

She said: “If you use academics only to assess each child, you will miss the talents of some children. We pay attention to what a child can do with both the brain and the hand.

“We are not like other schools who take only the best but we take everybody, yet, our products go to the university to top the classes around the world. Our students also confront some of the toughest courses.

“Now, we are going entrepreneurship and hands-on courses that give access to income faster such as painting, drawing, electricals, plumbing, sewing, etc. Those are the people that will control the future.”

On her advice to parents, she urged them to be careful the school they send their children to. “Most schools have mastered the art of marketing. In Port Harcourt, some big schools are known for cheating. Some of their students come here and cannot prove the hype they are known for. They reveal that their teachers write exams for them. This way, the teachers are simply damaging the ability of that child to face situations.

“The best thing you will ever give your child is good educational foundation, but this is not cheap. Some parents just send children to school just for the sake of it. You must make sacrifices for your child.”

She advised the government to allocate more attention to education in the annual budgets. “Stopping foreign scholarships is okay but the government must look into how scholarships are awarded so that those raw brilliant children can get it. Government must pay attention.

“A child who failed during scholarship must not be promoted. This will make them to fight harder to pass. Indigent children are not getting scholarships and the Minister of Education must look into those getting all the scholarships. If you want to be at par with youths of other nations, we must review our education and how youths get educated.”

She declared: “Nigeria sems to be one of the most uneducated countries of the world, but giving access to the raw and indigent children, this can be reversed. So, government has a lot of work to do, though parents also have work to do.

“We did catch-them-young at Egi and we made them to compete with any child anywhere in the world. We have proved it once. It can be done.”

On his own, James Okoro, chairman on the occasion, who is a retired engineer, said his children graduated in Showers many years ago and that he is proud of it because of what the children have turned out to become.

He said: “Showers has not changed, right from the inception. I think founders of knew what we did not know, and they set about establishing the kind of schools they did, a place where children can be nurtured in values and academics through moral and spiritual teaching. This is what we lack in the society, so, the few that got this at college will rule their world.

“I can tell you for sure is that loss of moral values in our educational system is what Nigeria is suffering today.”

He warned: “If we do not take care, we may produce a generation that may not be able to support the society with ethics and integrity.”

Anita Chidinma Ihediohanma, one of the graduating students, said she is now ready to face the world because of what Showers put in her. “I was scared before but with my experience in Showers, I have all the confidence to go into the world.”

She advised upcoming students in Showers to balance academics with character as is taught in the school. “Do not have below average in character. Madam Showers may be tough but not wicked, but it is for good reason. It may hurt but know it is for your own good. Pick the lesson in it, not to pick offence.”