POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

Education is the major pivot on which the entire gamut of national development is placed in the third world countries. Although western education was introduced into the shores of Nigeria in the 1840s by the Christian missionaries, its growth and development subsequently have been influenced by both political and military leaders from pre-independence period to date. This paper examined the leadership factor in the provision of education in Nigeria and its attendant contributions to national development. Information was collected through secondary source s such as journals, books, newspapers and magazines. Analysed data revealed that some political leaders accorded education its right place in the scheme of social services provided during their tenure. Thus, civilian and military leaders alike established schools, colleges and tertiary institutions with a view to widening access to education and solving problems of illiteracy, hunger, disease and squalor and producing the required manpower for socio-economic, political, cultural, scientific and technological development of the nation. The schools and tertiary institutions established over the years have impacted on the nation’s development in terms of increase in literacy rate, improved access to education, production of skilled manpower, improved health services, communication and diversification of economic activities among others. It was however discovered that educational institutions have not made optimal contribution to national development due to limiting factors of underfunding, frequent changes in policy, obsolete curriculum and politicisation of education among others. Based on this, it was recommended that the present crop of Nigerian leaders should fund education adequately by meeting the 26% UNESCO recommendation, ensure that education is provided for all, implore universities and other specialised institutions to embark on research aimed at combating the problem of the nation’s technological underdevelopment.