The Founder and Executive Director, Slum2School Africa, Mr. Orondaam Otto has called for an amendment of Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act to give room for a 3-12-4 system in place of the current 9-3-4.
According to him, the current 9-3-4 system fails to capture the early childhood years (one to five years) which are the formative years for major brain development, speech/language formation, values and social.
The Nigerian Social Entrepreneur made this known on Monday, January 19, 2026, while delivering the Convocation Lecture for the 56th Convocation Ceremonies of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), under the Chairmanship of Professor Rahamon Bello, FAEng, the 11th Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG; current President, Nigerian Academy of Engineering; and Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State.
Held at the J. F Ade Ajayi Auditorium of the University, the Lecture drew a wide array of dignitaries including the mother of the Guest Lecturer, a Nobel Laureate; beneficiaries of the Slum to School Scholarship programme; staff and students of UNILAG; among others.
The Lecture
Mr. Otto’s presentation titled: Maximizing Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend through Urgent Education Reform for Global Competitiveness in the 21st Century, decried Nigeria’s frail state of mere survival and stability where the bulk of citizens prioritize food, rent, transportation and basic security as against claims of sovereignty and sophistication.
The Education Advocate pointed out measures which could address the national quagmire. These include:
- An expansion of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act from 9 years to 15 years to accommodate an initial 3 years of early childhood education for brain development, language, values and social foundation and a 3-year Senior Secondary education to develop skills, specialization and real world capability .
- A Law-backed National Education Policy which is rooted in African identity, committed to national transformation and will guarantee the raising of a generation of Nigerians who can think clearly, act ethically, build boldly and are capable of competing and leading anywhere in the world.
- A repositioning of teaching as Nigeria’s most elitist profession by gradually phasing out the National Certificate of Education (NCE) and transitioning of all Colleges of Education into degree awarding Universities of Education with emphasis on strong pedagogy, high entry requirements, supervised classroom residency, licensing and above-average pay.
- Standardization and decolonization of the national curriculum to protect and project real African values while promoting the creation of Nigerian and African fairy tales, storybooks, animations and learning materials centered on local heroes, history and culture for early childhood education in partnership with Nigerian authors, historians, animators and cultural institutions.
- Re-engineering of Education around skills development from get-go.
- Equalization of universities, polytechnics as well as technical and vocational education and training centres (TVET) with standardized curricula which is differentiated by specialization as against the currently obtainable status of hierarchy,
- Creation of a fully digitized, data-driven education system where every pupil could be uniquely identified, traced and tracked at anytime.
- Creation of two (2) strategic Education ministries namely: Children and Basic Education to cater to the Basic Education; and Higher Education and Research for tertiary education.
Mr Otto expressed optimism that if his suggestions are adopted, Nigeria’s population which is estimated to rise to about 410 million by 2050 will no longer be framed as a burden.
Setting the Tone
In her address to welcome guests to the Convocation Lecture, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, stressed the need for intentional engagement in re-thinking the education sector from bottom up.
Her words “…our current models will not serve us well, we need to educate at scale without which a youthful population such as ours can become a burden rather than an asset…”
Prof Ogunsola also stressed the need for strategic investment education to ensure national development and global competitiveness.
Chairman’s Remarks
In his remarks as the Chairman of the event, Professor Rahamon Bello, FAEng, commended the choice of topic for the Convocation Lecture. He described it as the University’s clarion call for the desired goal of repositioning tertiary education.
Prof. Bello who currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State applauded the intellectual offering and deep insights of Mr Orondaam Otto and passed a vote of confidence in his recommendations.
He described Mr. Otto’s recommendations as initiatives which will change the face of Nigeria’s education system, reposition tertiary education and consolidate UNILAG’s position as a leading light in the comity of ivory towers in Nigeria and Africa.
About the Guest Lecturer
Orondaam Otto is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and education advocate dedicated to expanding access to quality learning for children especially in under-served communities across Africa.
He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Slum2School Africa, a leading volunteer-driven education development organization that has reached hundreds of thousands of children with school placements, scholarships, STEM and innovation labs, as well as digital learning solutions.
Orondaam Otto launched the Slum2School Initiative in 2012 after a transformative encounter with out-of-school children in a Lagos slum. Under his leadership, the organization has pioneered Africa’s first virtual learning classroom to keep learners connected during school closures.
…56th (2025) Convocation Activities Continues
The congregation for the Award of First Degrees, Diplomas, Certificates and Prizes on Graduating Students begins on Tuesday, January 20, 2026; with graduating students of the Faculties of Arts, Architecture, Creative Arts, Communication and Media Studies, Computing and Informatics Education, Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical and Earth Sciences as well as Social Sciences.
Report: Gbenga Gbelee
Photograph: Ayomie Oloyede
