Business analyst Chika Mbonu has warned that Nigeria’s worsening education crisis is creating what he described as a “demographic gunpowder,” stating that millions of poorly educated and unemployed youths pose a major threat to the country’s future stability and economic growth.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News while reacting to concerns about Africa’s growing population and education challenges, Mbonu said population growth alone cannot become an advantage unless it is matched with quality education, employable skills, and economic opportunities.
“Education becomes strength only when people are educated, skilled and employable,” he said.
According to Mbonu, Nigeria is approaching a dangerous point where rapid population growth is colliding with weak education systems, unemployment, and widespread frustration among young people.
“We are going to have what’s called demographic gunpowder,” he stated.
He warned that the country’s rising youth population, if poorly managed, could worsen insecurity, poverty, crime, and social instability.
“Plenty of youths, no skills, no jobs and frustration,” he said.
Mbonu described Nigeria as having one of Africa’s largest education systems but also one of its deepest education crises.
“Nigeria has one of the biggest education crises also,” he stated.
He mentioned that alarming statistics showing millions of Nigerian children remain out of school and unable to meet basic literacy standards.
“Over 750,000 Nigerian children cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10,” he said.
According to him, poor completion rates across primary and secondary education continue weakening the country’s long-term human capital development.
“The system is broken,” he stated.
Mbonu stated that Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of policies or government agencies, but the failure to provide practical educational infrastructure and implementation.
“The children do not need policy,” he said.
According to him, what Nigerian students urgently require are functioning classrooms, trained teachers, books, safety, internet access, and proper learning environments.
“What they need is classrooms, teachers, books, safety and internet,” he stated.
Mbonu expressed concern about the poor state of foundational education, especially at nursery and primary school levels where learning habits and literacy skills are first developed.
“The foundation is very weak,” he said.
He criticised the condition of many public schools across rural communities, describing them as unsuitable for meaningful learning.
“You see children sleeping under trees,” he stated.
According to Mbonu, many schools lack toilets, libraries, laboratories, and proper classrooms, making effective education nearly impossible.
“They cannot concentrate,” he said.
He also condemned corruption and exploitation within parts of Nigeria’s higher education system, alleging that some students are forced to make unofficial payments for academic services.
“This is not education, this is social exploitation,” he stated.
Mbonu listed practices such as unofficial project supervision payments, clearance fees, handout sales, and academic “sorting” as examples of systemic abuse damaging educational integrity.
“It destroys merit,” he said.
According to him, political leaders have failed to properly address the education crisis because many policymakers educate their own children abroad and remain disconnected from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Does the strike affect them?” he asked.
Mbonu further criticised Nigeria’s low education funding, arguing that budgetary allocations remain inadequate for the country’s growing population.
“Nigeria is spending too little,” he stated.
He maintained that meaningful reform would require genuine political commitment, proper funding, stronger accountability, and long-term investment in public education infrastructure.
“Governance is simple if you actually love your people,” he said.
Mbonu concluded that Nigeria’s education crisis has evolved into a major national security and development threat, warning that unless the country urgently improves school infrastructure, teacher quality, literacy levels, and youth employment opportunities, the growing population could become a source of deeper instability rather than economic strength.
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