How human skills, knowledge can impact future of learning in Nigeria – Report
Nigeria should put human skills, knowledge and values at the heart of education to prepare the next generation for the AI era, a new Cambridge education system report has shown.
The report shows that while it is essential that Nigeria’s education system prepares young people for new technology, this does not just entail teaching them digital skills, which can themselves easily become obsolete as the pace of technological change accelerates.
The greatest possibilities for education systems lie not in technology alone, but in what humans and technology can achieve together.
According to the report, Nigeria must focus on education that builds the whole person: If AI can replace us, then we are not teaching the right things. Education must go beyond traditional test scores to develop the knowledge, skills and values that drive economic growth, global engagement and flourishing societies.
“Nigeria should ensure education remains highly relevant to children’s local context because evidence shows that is how they learn best. National education strategies should ensure education remains aligned with national visions, and reflect national history, traditions, cultural values, social priorities and aspirations for the future,”.
The new Cambridge education system also indicated that taking a national approach gives learners a firm foundation to interpret issues clearly, build trust and contribute original perspectives, adding that it also helps students form their sense of identity and understand their place in the world.
Jane Mann, managing director, Partnership for Education, Cambridge, said AI is changing education, and the world students will graduate into at a faster pace than at any time in human history.
“But teaching digital skills is just the start. Our report shows that for Nigeria’s next generation to thrive, we must also equip learners with the deeply human knowledge, skills, values and connections that are key to building resilient individuals, and in turn resilient economies and societies.
“This includes ensuring education remains highly local to students’ context in Nigeria, and putting teachers and school leaders at the heart of education reforms. The pace of technology means we don’t know exactly what tomorrow’s world of work looks like for today’s students, but by keeping humans at the heart of education, we prepare Nigeria’s next generation for all eventualities,” Mann said.
The report also stated that it is doubly important for Nigeria to invest in education that is relevant to students’ context given the increasing adoption of AI with its inherent language biases. While only an estimated 10 percent of Nigerians speak English as a first language, 90 percent of several Large Language Models’ training data is in English.
“Teachers should never be replaced with technology. Nations that use technology as a substitute for teachers risk creating a two-tier system. One tier where children learn from skilled teachers using technology to enhance learning and another where children rely on digital platforms with little or no human guidance,” the report states.
The report further advocates that Nigeria should empower teachers with technology. When used wisely, technology can reduce workload by automating marking, feedback and lesson planning. It can enable professional development with reflective tools, peer collaboration and access to expertise. It can support personalised learning, identify gaps, suggest interventions and provide detailed reports to inform teaching. And it can encourage innovation, allowing teachers to trial new methods and engage in research.
The report called on Nigeria to place teachers at the heart of reforms to make education more human-centred in the AI age. Policymakers must listen to what teachers say works, and where they need help. If education shifts towards human connection and skills like empathy, collaboration and critical thinking, the teacher’s role becomes even more vital. Teachers create spaces to foster “hard to learn” skills, adapt to local contexts, and become role models.
Nigeria should teach digital skills as an essential part of its curricula, with the World Economic Forum listing AI, big data, cybersecurity and technology literacy among the fastest-growing skills employers look for globally. But technology changes too fast for one-time learning, so it is vital to focus on building digital competence for life. This is less about how to use specific technologies and more about building wider knowledge and skills to help learners use those tools wisely.
“Nigeria’s education system should focus on building skills and knowledge side by side to give learners the tools to sharpen their judgements and build a society where AI might guide thinking, but people are responsible for the outcome. With easy access to data through AI, education policymakers should avoid the temptation to focus on building skills and let technology supply knowledge.
