Between academic qualifications and native intelligence

 

I was once again dragged into the debate on whether it is  long overdue for Nigerian politicians to possess higher educational qualifications to be able to contest for political offices. This argument ensued on Monday, September 14, 2026 when I featured on Morning Brief hosted by Bukola Coker and Geoffery Uzono on Channels Television. We were reviewing the list of presidential and national assembly candidates for 2027 General Elections that was published by the Independent National Electoral Commission over the weekend. 

Section 131 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered set the qualification for election as President as follows:  “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if - (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of thirty-five years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.” Not a few Nigerians have questioned the rationale for keeping educational or academic qualification this low.

Many Nigerians are irked by the interpretation of what school certificate or its equivalent means as expatiated in section 318.  It says “School Certificate or its equivalent” means - (a) a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or (b) education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or (c) Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent and – (i) service in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years; and (ii) attendance at courses and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totaling up to a minimum of one year; and, (iii) the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission; and (d) any other qualification acceptable by the Independent National Electoral Commission”

Sincerely, am baffled by this long winding interpretation of what School certificate or its equivalent meant by law. It, in essence, means you don’t even need any certificate to preside over Nigeria. I am swayed by the argument of those calling for higher academic qualification for our elected political office holders. However, it should be understood that being bookish alone does not make good administrators. Long before western education was introduced in Nigeria by the white colonialists, Nigerians nay Africans govern themselves through well-structured political systems. Kings who did not have privilege of western education created and govern empires. We had the likes of Kanem-Bornu empire and Oyo Empire established centuries before the colonialists arrive the shores of our lands. Native intelligence was what was used to administer those empires and kingdoms.

In contemporary times, did we realise that former President Shehu Shagari was not a university graduate yet he was executive president of Nigeria for four years and even won reelection in 1983. According to online sources, Former President Shehu Shagari was not a university graduate; he was a trained teacher who studied at Kaduna College and the Kaduna Teachers Training College. He traveled to the United Kingdom in 1953 for a one-year teacher training programme. Before entering politics, he worked for years as a science teacher and school administrator.

In a like manner, former president Olusegun Obasanjo was not a university graduate when he ruled Nigeria. He attended Baptist Boys' High School in Abeokuta. He could not afford college and joined the Nigerian Army in 1958, receiving professional and officer training in England, India, and the Congo rather than attending a traditional civilian university. When he served as military head of state (1976–1979) and later as a democratically elected president (1999–2007), he held professional military qualifications and honorary awards, but no formal university degree. It was after he left office in 2007 that he went to enroll for a university degree at the National Open University of Nigeria.

It is noteworthy that apart from political governance, there are quite a lot of business moguls who have little or no western education. Yet they run very successful businesses. Take for instance billionaire Femi Otedola does not have a university degree. In his memoir, “Making It Big”, the Nigerian billionaire revealed that he struggled with traditional academics and left school during his Advanced Levels (Lower Sixth) to enter the business world. He did not complete high school or attend university, choosing instead to work in his family's printing press before building his multi-billion-dollar business empire.

Many prominent Igbo businessmen built massive empires without university degrees. Some of them merely went through the Igbo Apprenticeship System (Igba Boi) in which young people enter a multi-year informal apprenticeship under an established business owner. After serving their time faithfully, apprentices receive financial and logistical "settlement" capital from their master to start their own enterprise. While they may lack formal campus-based degrees, these individuals undergo rigorous on-the-job training in accounting, negotiation, supply chain logistics, and resilience.

Cosmas Maduka, the founder of Coscharis Group started as a young apprentice with little formal schooling before building an automotive and conglomerate empire. Cletus Ibeto, the head of the Ibeto Group left school early, entered the motor parts trade as an apprentice, and grew it into a major manufacturing and industrial concern.  Innocent Chukwuma, the founder of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing started out trading spare parts through practical market experience rather than higher education. The tech whiz kids Steve Jobs and Bill Gates do not have college degrees yet they founded and ran highly successful tech businesses.

I am of the considered view that the reason the framers of Nigeria Constitution kept academic qualification so low is to guarantee political inclusion. It is a notorious fact that parts of Nigeria are educationally disadvantaged. Not to the extent that there is any town or village without at least some university graduates among them, however, they may not be interested in politics.

It is interesting to note that Section 55 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution provides for the use of Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba alongside English in the National Assembly, while Section 97 provides similar provisions for State Houses of Assembly using other local languages. Section 55 states that “The business of the National Assembly shall be conducted in English, and in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba when adequate arrangements have been made therefor.”  Section 97 states that “The business of a House of Assembly shall be conducted in English, but the House may in addition to English conduct the business of the House in one or more other languages spoken in the State as the House may by resolution approve.”

With qualification for political and electoral participation made very easy, why do we still have contestants parading or filing fake and forged academic credentials? As we say in local parlance: no be juju be dat?

I.G: @jideojong