By Peter Dansu A Nigerian social entrepreneur and education advocate, Mr Orondaam Otto, has called for a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s educa...
By Peter Dansu
A Nigerian social entrepreneur and education advocate, Mr Orondaam Otto, has called for a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s education structure with a proposal to replace the existing 9-3-4 system with a 3-12-4 model, insisting that the country can no longer afford to ignore the foundational years of child development.
Mr Otto made the call on Monday, January 19, 2026, while delivering the Convocation Lecture at the 56th Convocation Ceremonies of the University of Lagos UNILAG. The lecture was held at the J F Ade Ajayi Auditorium under the chairmanship of Professor Rahamon Bello, FAEng, former Vice Chancellor of UNILAG and President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.
Speaking on the need to amend the Universal Basic Education UBE Act, the Founder and Executive Director of Slum2School Africa argued that the current 9-3-4 system fails to adequately capture early childhood education, particularly the formative years between ages one and five which he described as critical to brain development, language acquisition, values formation and social skills.
In his lecture titled Maximizing Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend through Urgent Education Reform for Global Competitiveness in the 21st Century, Mr Otto painted a sobering picture of a nation trapped in survival mode, where the majority of citizens are preoccupied with food, rent, transportation and basic security rather than innovation, productivity and global relevance.
He stressed that Nigeria’s education system must be redesigned to prepare citizens not just to survive but to think clearly, act ethically and compete confidently on the global stage.
As part of his recommendations, Mr Otto proposed the expansion of the UBE Act from nine to fifteen years to include three years of early childhood education and a strengthened three year senior secondary phase focused on skills, specialization and real world competence.
He also called for a law backed National Education Policy rooted in African identity and national transformation, as well as a complete repositioning of teaching as Nigeria’s most elitist profession. According to him, this should include the gradual phasing out of the National Certificate of Education NCE and the transition of Colleges of Education into degree awarding Universities of Education with strong pedagogy, higher entry standards, supervised classroom residency, professional licensing and improved remuneration.
The education advocate further pushed for the decolonization and standardization of the national curriculum to reflect African values and history, including the production of locally inspired storybooks, animations and learning materials for early childhood education. He also advocated early integration of skills development, equal recognition of universities, polytechnics and technical and vocational institutions, and the creation of a fully digitized, data driven education system that can track every learner nationwide.
In addition, Mr Otto proposed the creation of two strategic education ministries, one for Children and Basic Education and another for Higher Education and Research.
He expressed optimism that if these reforms are adopted, Nigeria’s projected population of about 410 million by 2050 would become a strategic advantage rather than a national burden.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, emphasized the urgency of rethinking education from the bottom up. She warned that without deliberate investment and large scale education reforms, Nigeria’s youthful population could become a liability rather than an asset.
“Our current models will not serve us well,” she said, stressing the need for intentional engagement and strategic investment to drive national development and global competitiveness.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Rahamon Bello, commended the choice of topic and described the lecture as a clarion call for the repositioning of Nigeria’s education sector. He praised Mr Otto’s intellectual depth and expressed confidence that the recommendations, if implemented, would significantly transform the education system and further consolidate UNILAG’s standing as a leading institution in Nigeria and Africa.
The lecture attracted a wide array of dignitaries including the mother of the guest lecturer, Anne Marie Otto, Nobel Prize winner and peace activist Ouided Bouchamaoui, members of the Slum2School Africa board, partners, volunteers, scholars and beneficiaries of the Slum2School Scholarship Programme, alongside staff and students of the University of Lagos.
Mr Orondaam Otto is a renowned Nigerian social entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Slum2School Africa, a volunteer driven education development organisation that has reached hundreds of thousands of children across Africa through school placements, scholarships, STEM and innovation labs and digital learning solutions. He launched the initiative in 2012 following an encounter with out of school children in a Lagos slum and later pioneered Africa’s first virtual learning classroom during school closures.
Meanwhile, activities for the 56th Convocation of the University of Lagos continue with the congregation for the award of first degrees, diplomas, certificates and prizes scheduled to commence on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, beginning with graduating students from several faculties including Arts, Architecture, Creative Arts, Communication and Media Studies, Computing and Informatics Education, Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical and Earth Sciences, and Social Sciences.
Credit: Unilag Official Website
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