The Federal Government has designated the Nigerian Academy of Education, NAE, as the country’s apex national institution for digital literacy and the development of leaders for a future-ready economy, placing the body at the forefront of efforts to transform Nigeria’s education system.
The designation is expected to position the Academy to lead the development of a national digital skills framework and influence policies aimed at preparing Nigeria’s future workforce for the demands of an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
President of the Academy, Emeritus Prof Olugbemiro Jegede, announced this at the opening of the NAE 2026 Annual Congress in Abuja, where he called for an urgent review of the National Policy on Education, a fundamental overhaul of teacher training and a transformation of classroom delivery methods.
The congress was attended by the Minister of Education, members of the National and State Assemblies, heads of educational agencies and other stakeholders in the sector.
Jegede said Nigeria could no longer rely on gradual reforms to address the challenges confronting its education system, insisting that the rapid pace of technological advancement required fundamental changes in educational policies, teaching methods and institutional structures.
“Nigeria stands at a volatile crossroads where obsolete educational paradigms collide with an unforgiving 21st-century reality. The era of comfortable, incremental reforms is over,” he said.
He described the Academy’s new responsibility as an opportunity to provide intellectual leadership for building a future-ready economy, adding that it would prioritise the integration of Artificial Intelligence, AI, emerging technologies, innovative teaching methods and evidence-based approaches into education policy and practice.
The NAE president urged the Federal Government to urgently review the National Policy on Education, arguing that the existing framework needed to reflect contemporary realities and the changing demands of society.
He also called for strict adherence to established laws and regulations guiding the composition of governing boards of educational institutions and parastatals.
On teacher development, Jegede advocated a fundamental restructuring of teacher education and professional development, alongside a comprehensive review of instructional delivery methods to improve learning outcomes.
He further stressed the need for policies that would guarantee equitable access to digital technologies in classrooms across the country, regardless of geographical location, warning against an education system in which access to modern learning tools remains uneven.
According to him, achieving meaningful transformation would require coordinated action among the Federal Ministry of Education, State Ministries of Education, the Legislature and other relevant institutions.
Jegede also challenged members and Fellows of the Academy to move beyond academic recognition and translate their expertise into practical interventions capable of addressing the country’s educational challenges.
“The Academy has no room for sedentary scholars or armchair theoreticians. Nigeria requires your raw intellect and your immediate, unyielding involvement to reshape our pedagogical destiny,” he declared.
He urged the scholars to contribute actively to developing digital competencies, promoting emerging technologies and building an education system capable of producing a skilled and globally competitive workforce.
The 2026 Annual Congress also featured the investiture of four distinguished academics as Fellows of the Academy.
Among those honoured was the Academy’s First Vice-President, Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, in recognition of his academic contributions and standing in the education sector.
The congress also paid tribute to deceased members and relatives of Fellows, with special recognition of the late Professor David Adamu Baikie, one of the Academy’s founding members, as well as the late Mrs Lassa and Mr Omotayo Olarinoye.
The Academy’s leadership reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the legacies of its departed members through continued dedication to academic excellence, educational advancement and national development.
Jegede said the Academy’s new national mandate would ultimately be judged by its ability to translate intellectual contributions and policy recommendations into practical outcomes that would strengthen Nigeria’s education system and develop the human capital needed for the future.
