FG designates Nigerian Academy of Education as apex institution for digital literacy
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.
The designation places the academy, Nigeria’s foremost body of educational scholars, at the centre of efforts to reposition the education sector for the demands of the digital age.
Olugbemiro Jegede, president of the academy, announced the development at the opening of the NAE’s 2026 annual congress in Abuja.
The congress was attended by Tunji Alausa, minister of education; members of the national and state assemblies; heads of educational parastatals; and other stakeholders in the education sector.
Under its new national mandate, the academy is expected to play a leading role in developing Nigeria’s national digital skills framework and shaping policies to prepare the country’s future workforce.
Its priorities will include integrating artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, innovative teaching methods and evidence-based approaches into education policy and practice.
Addressing the gathering, Jegede said Nigeria could no longer afford gradual or cosmetic changes to an education system confronted by rapidly evolving technological and economic realities.
“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. As the newly designated intellectual engine for Nigeria’s future-proof economy, the NAE will no longer issue polite, reactive advisory notes. We are here to intentionally disrupt the archaic architectures holding our nation back,” he said.
The NAE president called on the federal government to urgently review the National Policy on Education, which he described as long overdue for revision in response to contemporary developments and changing societal needs.
He also urged the government to ensure strict compliance with laws and regulations governing the composition of governing boards of educational institutions and parastatals.
Jegede further called for a fundamental restructuring of teacher education and professional development, an overhaul of instructional delivery methods, and policies to guarantee equitable access to digital technologies in classrooms across the country, regardless of location.
He said transforming Nigeria’s education system required coordinated efforts by the federal and state ministries of education, the legislature and other relevant institutions.
The academy’s new responsibility, he added, required a more active intellectual community. He urged newly inducted members and fellows to translate their academic standing into practical contributions to national development.
“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 said.
He challenged members to apply their expertise to the country’s pressing educational challenges, particularly the development of digital competencies, adoption of emerging technologies and creation of an education system capable of producing a skilled and globally competitive workforce.
The 2026 annual congress also featured the investiture of four academics as fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Education.
One of those honoured was Josiah Ajiboye, first vice-president of the academy, in recognition of his academic standing and contributions to education.
The congress also paid tribute to deceased members and relatives of fellows, with special recognition of David Adamu Baikie, one of the academy’s founding members, as well as the late Lassa and 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 responsibility would be measured not merely by its policy recommendations but also by its practical contributions to transforming education and developing the human capital required for Nigeria’s future.
