By Felix Khanoba
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 equipped to drive a future-ready economy.
The designation is expected to position the Academy at the forefront of efforts to integrate emerging technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative teaching methods into Nigeria’s education system.
President of the Academy, Emeritus Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, announced the development at the opening of the NAE 2026 Annual Congress in Abuja, where he called for urgent reforms to the country’s education policy, teacher training and classroom delivery methods.
The congress was attended by the 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 digital skills framework and shaping policies that will prepare the country’s future workforce for emerging technological and economic realities.
Its areas of focus will include the integration of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, innovative pedagogies and evidence-based approaches into education policy and practice.
Speaking at the event, Jegede said Nigeria could no longer afford gradual reforms to an education system struggling to respond to the rapid changes in technology and the global economy.
“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 Academy president urged the Federal Government to commence an urgent and comprehensive review of the National Policy on Education, arguing that the existing framework requires revision to reflect contemporary realities and the changing needs of society.
He also called for strict adherence to existing laws, provisions and regulations guiding the composition of governing boards of educational institutions and parastatals.
Jegede further advocated a fundamental restructuring of teacher education and professional development, alongside a comprehensive review of instructional delivery methods.
He said government must also introduce policies that guarantee equitable access to digital technologies in classrooms nationwide, irrespective of geographical location.
According to him, achieving meaningful transformation in the education sector requires coordinated action involving the Federal Ministry of Education, State Ministries of Education, the Legislature and other relevant institutions.
He also challenged members and Fellows of the Academy to move beyond academic recognition and deploy their expertise towards addressing the country’s educational challenges.
“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 declared.
He urged scholars to contribute practical solutions to issues surrounding digital competencies, emerging technologies and the development of an education system capable of producing a skilled and globally competitive workforce.
The 2026 Annual Congress also featured the investiture of four distinguished academics as Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Education.
One of the inductees was Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, the Academy’s First Vice-President, who was recognised for his distinguished academic standing and contributions to education.
The congress also honoured deceased members and relatives of Fellows, with special tributes paid to the late Professor David Adamu Baikie, one of the Academy’s founding members, as well as the late Mrs Lassa and the late Mr 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 judged not merely by the policy recommendations it produces but by its practical contributions to transforming Nigeria’s education system and developing the human capital needed for the country’s future.
