Tilova for Africa Urges Tighter Regulation of Private Schools in NigeriaC
...condemns increasing cases of child abuse, poor infrastructure, unqualified teachers
Ugo Ewa
A United States based non-profit organisation, Tilova for Africa (TFA), has called for stricter government regulation and oversight of private schools across Nigeria, citing rising cases of child abuse, poor infrastructure, and declining educational standards.
The advocacy group raised alarm over the proliferation of substandard private schools, particularly at the nursery and primary levels, noting that many operate under deplorable conditions that endanger the welfare of pupils.
TFA’s concern follows a recent disturbing incident in Enugu, where a three-year-old girl was reportedly brutalised by her teacher, leaving severe marks on her legs.
In a statement signed by its Co-founder, Mr Martin Nwabueze, a US-based pharmacist from Anambra State, the organisation emphasised the urgent need for the government to standardise operations in private, community, and faith-based schools to ensure they meet national standards in infrastructure, teaching quality, curriculum, and accountability.
“The proliferation of private schools in Nigeria’s education space is a confirmation that all is not well in the sector,” TFA stated. “All manner of people are now establishing schools some as a front for money laundering, others simply for profit. This trend is undermining the quality of education our children receive.”
The group lamented that many of these schools operate from makeshift structures, describing some classroom environments as “poultry sheds,” while most teachers employed are either unqualified or poorly trained.
“Children from primary one to six in many of these schools cannot solve basic mathematical problems because their teachers are not qualified,” Nwabueze noted. “There is no proper staffing framework, no teaching structure, and in some cases, learning is reduced to singing and dancing sessions.”
Tilova for Africa also decried the poor sanitary conditions of most private schools, which it said expose children to diseases such as diarrhoea, due to a lack of functional toilets and clean environments.
“In many private schools, teachers are not properly vetted before employment. That’s why incidents of abuse, like the recent case in Enugu, continue to occur,” the group said. “Education should never come at the expense of a child’s safety. The government must tighten the loose ends of its regulatory mechanism to protect pupils and restore sanity to the sector.”
TFA reiterated its commitment to advocating for reforms that prioritise child welfare, teacher quality, and the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system.
