Making Education Free for All Citizens: Justifiable or Not in Nigeria’s Case?

Abstract

The idea of free education provision for the citizens of a nation, has been a global/universal phenomenon. The issue of whether education should be free or not for all citizens in Nigeria has however been contentious. Many people are contending that because education is a social service, which is meant to eradicate illiteracy, ensures comfortable living of the citizens, as well as the development of the country, it should be provided free for all citizens. The need to ensure equity and egalitarianism, combat the looming poverty, low manpower/literacy level in the country, also lend credence to this. Many are also arguing that education should not be free for all citizens, on the basis that anything that is free lacks quality. The parlous state of the country’s economy, perceived falling standard of education, unsatisfied admission demand for  tertiary education, looming unemployment, as well as inadequate human, material, and financial resources in educational institutions, are supportive of this argument. This paper is meant to shed more light on the issue of free education provision, partucularly as it concerns Nigeria. The paper is divided into six parts. The first gives the introduction to the theme. The second, is on the theoretical framework that supports it. The third part examines the concept ‘education’ and its scope and purposes in Nigeria while the fourth defines free education concept and what it connotes. Attempts in free education provision in Nigeria, was discussed in the fifth part, while the sixth discusses the arguments in favour and those against free education provision in Nigeria. The last part recommend measures, such as: the provision of scholarships and bursaries to pupils/students, introduction of minimal fee in educational institutions as a way of sharing the cost of education with government, reaching out to international charity organizations, to alleviate the burden of education provision by government and uplift the status of education in Nigeria. In the course of this paper, information and data were gathered from literature, to describe the concept and support the arguments raised.

Keywords: Making, education, free, free education, citizens, justifiable, not justifiable, Nigeria, case