Breaking the Mismatch: Government Structure vs. School Participation

Nigeria has made significant strides in expanding access to education through largescale programmes such as UPE and UBE. However, despite these efforts, disparities in school participation persist across different regions of the country. This study aims to shed light on the historical factors that contribute to these disparities, specifically looking at the relationship between pre-colonial centralization and investment in Koranic education on school participation.One of the key findings of this study is that areas under highly centralized political systems are more likely to participate in large-scale school expansion programmes such as UPE and UBE. This is in line with previous research that has shown a positive relationship between state centralization and development outcomes. However, the study also finds that areas with heavy investment in Koranic education have a negative effect on school enrolment, even when these areas before colonialism had highly centralized political structure. The findings highlight the mismatch between the demands of modern economic life and the skills possessed by a large section of the population. The contemporary world does not require Koranic education to make either regional or national advancement possible, yet many areas with heavy investment in Koranic education are falling behind in the education race. This calls for well-thought-out policies to address this mismatch and accelerate inclusive economic development.