Unveiling the Future of Learning: Trends that will Shape Education in Nigeria in 2024

The 21st Century education is no longer centered on providing students with learning opportunities geared towards only succeeding in their various careers. Instead, the emphasis has shifted to empowering students with transferable skills, technology, and entrepreneurship that are relevant to adapting to a rapidly changing world. Unfortunately, the Nigerian education sector is not taking the lead in bringing its system up to the 21st-century standard. The sector is not actively seeking out new ways of doing things nor are they incorporating technology into their curriculum. This failure has prompted the rise and flourishing of several educational technology companies to bridge the gap by using technology as a driver of change in the education sector. Not only are they advancing education, but they are also adapting it to fit the metrics of the global world. Still, the Nigerian education sector has to sit up since its clear that as we move into the future, the sector will continuously evolve bringing with it new challenges and processes that may derail Nigerian students from competing favourably with their counterparts across the world. In this article, we’ll explore some of the major emerging trends in education that will impact Nigerian education in 2024.

            The world is constantly evolving due to stellar advancements in technology. As the world becomes more complex, it gives rise to the need to develop several mechanisms to deal with these challenges. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 gave rise to the era of e-learning especially in Nigeria. These platforms existed before then but the period gave them more prominence than ever. The result was a lot of edutech platforms including our soon-launching platform “Eduversity” flooding the space to attempt to bridge the gaps in learning. Unfortunately, the Nigerian education system has not completely adjusted its methods or goals to online learning. There were major shifts during the pandemic, a shift that immediately subsided afterward. Adapting to e-learning means Nigerian students will have access to unprecedented amount of information at their fingertips and better compete with their global counterparts right from learning without even leaving their bedrooms.

             A technology-driven education simply involves the integration of different relevant technologies into education. This integration is not only essential to a thorough 21st-century education, but it is beyond adding technology to existing teaching methods. The Nigerian educational sector must strategically use technology to benefit students by adding it to the curriculum and as a method of teaching. Students in Nigeria must learn the basics of using a computer system, the basics of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, gaming, etc to be relevant in the evolving world. Furthermore, obsolete technologies should not be taught in the curriculum to enable Nigerian students to get abreast of current innovations and how to use them. Examinations like WASSCE, NECO, GCE, term exams, etc should be carried out online to familiarize students with the usage of technology for several purposes. 

              The Nigerian educational sector needs to be forward-thinking and flexible. Perhaps, this is because of the current situation of the economy. The sector should tailor its curriculum to incorporate the acquisition of other skills and entrepreneurship to prepare students on how to adapt to a society ridden with unemployment. Skills like software development, data analysis, digital marketing, and social media management should take preeminence over others because they are one of the most sought-after skills globally. Likewise, students should be made to learn the basics of entrepreneurship to aid their ability to start and run a business in the future. These skills make them self-sufficient and poised to survive after school. 

             Learning in the 21st century is beyond teaching students prescribed content that has past its relevance. To succeed and gain the confidence to succeed in this new world, students need to learn and practice transferable skills.  Education is now tailored to empower students with transferable skills that will continue to be relevant in a rapidly changing world. Students are now focusing on 21st-century skills that help them make sense of what they learn, share it, and use it in smart ways. The transferable skills are creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, etc. These skills are key to successful work and relationships. The bottom line? Students become well-rounded individuals capable of adapting to any environment, they find themselves in. 

              This is fast becoming a major trend influencing the Nigerian educational sector. Adaptive learning is not a difficult word. It simply means that courses are tailored to fit the individual needs/ learning goals of each student. Although the trend is not yet pervasive, educational institutions and educational technology companies are quickly integrating this innovative data-driven approach to enable customized learning experiences for clients. This helps schools and learning platforms meet the needs of a diverse student population and maximize student learning outcomes. Again, it helps to customize individual learning paths and learning paces.

             The educational sector has come a long way in the last decade prompting several challenges that technology has contributed to solving. It will also continue to influence learning and its environment, especially about curriculum, and teaching methods. In the coming year, these

trends will have an even greater impact on the educational landscape, ushering in an era of innovation and improved teaching and learning.