Policy of Deregulation of Education in Nigeria: Achievements, Challenges and Way Forward

One of the remarkable policies in Nigeria is the policy of deregulation of education. The policy aimed at encouraging private participation in the provision and funding of education, with the view to increasing access to formal education for all Nigerians, and also to reduce the burden of education funding on government. After many years of its implementation at all levels of education, it is necessary to examine the policy. Therefore, this paper examined the policy of deregulation of education in Nigeria. The achievements of the policy such as increase access to education, less burden of education funding on government, improved manpower supply, employment generation and community development were all pointed out and discussed. The major challengesof the policy include lack of fund, high tuition fees, poor condition of service, inequality of graduates examination malpractice and urban concentration were all examined. Furthermore, way forward such as financial grants to private institutions, improved condition of service, among others were provided in the paper, followed by conclusion.