Examining the place of public administration in Nigerian educational advancement from historical lenses

Despite studies, concerns and active agitations from people on the promotion of qualitative education in Nigeria, these studies and agitations have not yielded any concrete results. This article discusses how public administration can advance qualitative education in Nigeria from historical lenses. At the end, the study calls for the establishment of a special office on education reforms at the Presidency, working with other levels of government and stakeholders, to fashion out a 25-year ‘Marshall plan’ to reposition education and follow up the plan with a measurable implementation strategy. It study equally recommends for government at all level to establish policies and a regulatory framework to increase literacy rates and encourage gender equality in education. While the Federal Government should strengthen regulatory regimes for standards nationwide, state and local governments should establish their competitiveness standards to be measured by academic performance in public examinations and evidence of high levels of numeracy and literacy skills among children. And finally, there is urgent need for a complete reset of education in Nigeria. This means a holistic reform programme that will position our education sector as the engine for social and economic growth.