The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has attributed the growing dominance of private schools in international academic competitions to chronic underfunding of public schools, inadequate teacher welfare and limited investment in gifted education.
The union made the remarks while reacting to the performance of Nigerian students in the 2026 Olympiad season, arguing that the country’s public education system lacks the resources needed to compete effectively with well-funded private institutions.
NUT President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, said years of insufficient funding for public schools have weakened their capacity to identify, nurture and prepare exceptionally talented students for prestigious global competitions such as the International Mathematical Olympiad and other science-based Olympiads.
According to him, many public schools operate with inadequate teaching facilities, overcrowded classrooms and limited access to laboratories, learning materials and specialised coaching programmes required for high-level academic contests.
Amba also pointed to poor remuneration and welfare packages for teachers, saying the situation has affected motivation and the quality of instruction in public schools. He stressed that improving teachers’ working conditions is essential to raising educational standards and enabling public schools to compete with their private counterparts.
The NUT president urged the Federal Government and state governments to increase budgetary allocations to education in line with international benchmarks and invest in programmes that identify and support academically gifted students across the country.
He further called for regular teacher training, improved school infrastructure and the provision of modern instructional materials, arguing that these measures would help bridge the widening gap between public and private schools.
The comments come amid renewed public debate over Nigeria’s participation in international Olympiad competitions and concerns about funding challenges affecting the country’s representation. While recent discussions have highlighted financial and administrative issues surrounding Nigeria’s participation in some global Olympiads, claims that the country was “delisted” from the International Mathematical Olympiad have been disputed by independent fact-checkers.
Education stakeholders have consistently argued that sustained investment in public education, teacher development and talent discovery is critical to ensuring that students from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to excel on the global stage. Recent education forums have similarly called for stronger financing and collaboration to improve learning outcomes in Nigeria’s schools.
