The Role and Challenges of Education in National Development (The Nigeria Experience)

This research paper focused on the role and challenges of education in national development. It dwelt extensively on the factors that aids and fosters educational development, Nigeria being the case study in this regard. It further unravels the importance of education in the Nigeria experience stating categorically the dimensions in which education had impacted the Nigeria states with such areas as technological, Industrial, Health, law, Security and Agricultural etc. The research paper further gave a comprehensive analysis of the importance and developmental contributions of tertiary education in contemporary Nigeria society. The importance of education in Professionalism was also extensively overviewed ,that is, the contribution of education to man power development and labour force in Nigeria and the policy underlining the educational system. By and large this research paper equally look as the role of education in economic growth and development specifically the role of education in economic transformation, improved-living standard, social economic growth, political stability, infrastructural development, provision of basic amenities amongst others economic developmental variables. Societal realities governing the smooth administration of the education as it affects the civil service administration was also an integral parts of the research with a specific reference to the 1988 civil service reform. The dimensions in which education has deepened the Nigeria democratic experience was also inclusive in the research that is political and social transformation. Nigeria has within a short period witness tremendous growth in social progress, freedom of speech, freedom of association and amongst others human rights, all synonymous with the contribution of education. Finally, the project tries to ascertain the contemporary challenges confronting the educational development in Nigeria and conclusively profer solution and constructive recommendations. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n10p2