For students, 2025 was not just another year on the academic calendar; it was a masterclass in resilience. From the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agitations to the ray of hope from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), millions of students across the country felt the performance of the education sector was more like a rollercoaster. WONDERFUL ADEGOKE (UDUS) and MOYOSORE SHITTU (UNILORIN) report.
While the outgone year demonstrated that the education sector could be better with reforms, effective delivery of quality education, adequate funding and infrastructure, and sustained security in fringe communities, remain imperative.
However, the reality of Usman Ahmed Alaliya, a student at the Federal University Dustin-Ma (FUDMA), is a system that questions the possibilities of an inclusive education.
Alaliya said: “I am interested in education because it’s my bridge from isolation to contribution. It is the path that can allow me to turn my personal silence into a voice for advocacy, ensuring that the next generation of deaf students walk through an easier road.”
An equally disheartening experience follows his resolve. “Ever since I gained admission into FUDMA in 2022, there has not been any sign language interpreter till today,” he disclosed. His revelation is a reflection of the challenges students with special needs face in their quest for education.
Coming at a time when gaining accessibility to learning resources appears to be a larger demand against the long overdue inclusion, Alaliya said, although a friend of his offers helping hands, he’s pained that despite several visits to the Vice Chancellor to demand for the provision of a professional sign language interpreter, nothing has been done by Prof. Armaya’u Hamisu.
Recalling a challenging moment he had in 300-level, he said: “My deaf coursemates and I attended lectures in the Department of Special Education. Often, the lecturers from other departments did not provide sign language interpreters. For instance, during a lecture on “Clinical Diagnosis,” I did not understand what the lecturer taught us.”
Alaliya remains positive on the need to embrace inclusivity in 2026. The passage of the Nigerian Sign Language Bill, he noted, is the best approach for a lasting educational reform.
Its consequences are fast unfolding. To ascertain the widespread damage caused, CAMPUS LIFE spoke with Oyin Adegoke, a visually impaired student at the University of Ibadan (UI).
Concerned about the gaps in the disability-inclusive campus she had hoped for, Oyin narrated her ordeal amid the growing advocacy and awareness for support; unfortunately, it now reflects one of the most mundane aspects within the four walls of her institution.
“There are a lot of challenges I face. When it comes to writing tests or exams, the resources that are supposed to be used are unavailable. For instance, a laptop is required, but instead, they prefer we use typewriters. I don’t even know how to use a typewriter because I graduated from Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, and there we were taught to use laptops,” she said.
Unlike her friends studying at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and the University of Benin (UNIBEN), among many others, where adequate facilities are provided, her struggles highlight the experiences of students forced to cope with institutional policies that offer little succour with education as the bridge the President Bola Tinubu administration banks on.
Speaking further, Oyin noted: “I’m really good at using laptops, but then they impose typewriters, which is really not good. I also don’t like the idea of someone writing the answers for you — like you saying the answers out and having them written for you. It’s quite time-consuming and a whole lot to deal with.”
Offering a candid assessment of Nigeria’s education system, Anointed Adegoke, a Mathematics student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), spoke on the level of digital literacy in the university community.
“One of the main challenges centres on the access to relevant digital tools. Unlike before when dependence on technological tools brought criticism, if learning must match global standards, students should be exposed to an equal level of digital transition.
“The world has gone digital. The era of pencil-and-paper learning might produce little results due to the declining learning outcomes. A very good example is seen in the state of our labour market.
“While efforts are made towards increasing the visibility and impact of institutions, learning should be made more accessible with increased investment of modern state-of-the-art equipment. This also is a win-win for students and the government as it will form the foundation for a sustainable development,” Anointed noted.
Similarly, in reaction to the quality of teaching, Ladi Sabeh, a student at the College of Nursing Sciences, Sokoto, confirmed it hinders effective learning and a strong research culture, especially among science and medical students.
Ladi said: “Students are then forced to rely on theoretical knowledge rather than practical experience. Research projects also get delayed because of lack of access to learning materials.”
Although she speaks well of the stable academic calendar and updated curriculum in her school, she agrees that, in 2026, much more could be done to provide hands-on training for students in health-related disciplines.
“Grants should be made available to both lecturers and students to encourage innovation and global competitiveness,” she added.
For Daniel Oyewole, a student at the University of Lagos, 2025 came with the familiar dread of strike. “It was another year to intensify prayers as we heard about warning strikes again,” he lamented. “I felt like my chances of graduating in 2026 were slipping away.”
In October, we experienced a tense two-week warning strike that threatened to interrupt academic activities again. However, the year is ending with a landmark: there has been a breakthrough agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU that promises a 40 percent salary increase and a revamped funding model. For Nigerian students, this is sunshine on a rainy day, and hope has been restored again.
Although the impasse of 16 years has seemingly ended, there remains skepticism.
“We’ve seen agreements signed before,” says Favour Ossai, a student at the University of Calabar.
“The performance of the education sector is not just about putting an end to strikes; it’s about the quality of the lecture rooms we learn in, and the labs we work in. Is it not appalling that I’m still studying with textbooks that are older than I am?”
For the first time in Nigeria’s history, student loan was introduced.
Last year, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) became the primary metric of the sector’s performance. Since its activation, the fund has recorded over 1.2 million applications, and a disbursement of approximately N116.4 billion to students across 239 institutions.
For many, the allowance was the thin line between dropping out and graduation. However, the performance assessment is not unanimous, as the success was marred by an investigation that was carried out by the ICPC on N71 billion in allegedly diverted funds and reports from 51 institutions deceptively deducting from student upkeep.
“The loan is helping me a great deal, yes,” says Tunde Martins, a final year student, “but the 10 percent NYSC deduction starting next year is worrisome. We are graduating into an economy with record inflation; how do we pay back money that we have not even earned yet?
But beyond the strikes and the loans lies a silent crisis: the mental exhaustion of students. Fikayo, a 300-Level student’s journey mirrors the struggle of thousands of students across the country.
“Earlier this year, I was so sure. I had written down how 2025 was my ‘made year.’ In the first week, I convinced myself I had it all together- I was reading, researching, acing my tests. But somewhere along the line, the spark died. I found myself staring at a single line of text for 30 minutes, unable to understand and comprehend it.
“I questioned God. I had a carryover in a course I was sure about, my second since 100-Level, despite the many sleepless nights and prayers. I stopped going to classes because it felt pointless. Losing your academic spark is more painful than any heartbreak, I tell you. While I am nowhere near my full potential yet, I am thankful just to be able to take a step again,” she said.
Sadly, this is the reality of many students in tertiary institutions, and it’s heartbreaking, because a lot of people drop out because of similar experiences, since it seems like their efforts are not enough. The circumstances that many students are faced with, often take a toll on their mental health, and affect their capacity and output in the long run.
For students, the performance of the education sector in 2025 will be summarised by a single word: survival. We have survived, and now we wait to see if the promises of 2025 will become the realities of 2026.
If this were a report card, the remark would read: “Improvement in effort, failure in execution. More efforts required”.
