In Nigeria, education is often treated not merely as a means of acquiring knowledge but as a pathway to acquiring titles. From Mr to Dr, Professor, Engineer, Barrister, Reverend, Chief and a long list of honorifics, titles have become important markers of social status. There is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating academic or professional achievements. The problem begins when the title becomes more valuable than the competence it represents.

Nigeria is, in many respects, a title-driven country. A person’s name is sometimes considered incomplete until an academic qualification or professional designation is attached to it. Families take pride in the titles their children acquire, while society often accords greater respect to people with impressive credentials, regardless of whether their knowledge translates into meaningful contribution. This raises an important question: What should be the future of education in a society where certificates and titles can sometimes matter more than what their holders can actually do?

Education should first and foremost produce knowledgeable, critical and productive citizens. A degree is supposed to certify that an individual has acquired a certain body of knowledge and developed the capacity to apply it. Yet, in Nigeria, the pursuit of certificates can sometimes overshadow the pursuit of learning. Students may become more concerned about passing examinations than understanding what they are being taught. Institutions may become more concerned about producing graduates than producing problem-solvers.

This title-driven orientation has consequences for the future of education. It encourages credentialism—the tendency to judge people’s competence largely by their qualifications. In a rapidly changing world, however, qualifications alone may no longer be sufficient. The future belongs increasingly to people who can think, communicate, collaborate, innovate, adapt and solve problems.

Artificial intelligence makes this reality even more compelling. A student can now access information within seconds. Machines can generate essays, translate languages, analyse data, write computer code and perform tasks that once required years of specialised training. The implication is profound: education can no longer compete with technology merely on the ability to provide information. It must teach learners what to do with information.

This means that Nigerian education must move from an examination-centred culture to a competence-centred culture. A university graduate should not simply be someone who has completed courses and obtained a certificate. He or she should possess demonstrable abilities. An English graduate, for instance, should be able to communicate effectively, edit documents, conduct research, analyse discourse, create compelling content and use emerging technologies responsibly. An engineering graduate should be able to solve real engineering problems. A graduate of education should be capable of transforming a classroom, not merely discussing educational theories.

There is also a need to reconsider the social hierarchy attached to professions and qualifications. Nigeria must stop treating vocational and technical skills as inferior alternatives to university education. A competent electrician, plumber, fashion designer, mechanic, carpenter, software developer or agricultural entrepreneur can contribute enormously to national development. The future of education should therefore accommodate multiple pathways to success rather than presenting the university degree as the only respectable route.

More importantly, Nigerian universities must become centres of innovation rather than merely centres of certification. Research should respond to national problems. Students should be encouraged to develop solutions to challenges in transportation, healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, security, education and governance. The question should increasingly move from “What certificate do you have?” to “What problem can you solve?”

Teachers also have a critical role to play in this transformation. The teacher of the future cannot remain merely a transmitter of information. Teachers must become facilitators, mentors and designers of learning experiences. They must help students develop curiosity, critical thinking, creativity and intellectual independence. This requires continuous professional development and a willingness to embrace technology without surrendering the human dimension of education.

Government, too, must rethink educational priorities. Investment should go beyond buildings and enrolment figures to include teacher quality, research funding, digital infrastructure, laboratories, libraries and industry partnerships. Educational policies should be evaluated not simply by the number of graduates produced but by what those graduates contribute to society.

Ultimately, titles are not the problem. A title such as Doctor or Professor can represent years of sacrifice, scholarship and expertise and should be respected. The problem is the elevation of the title above the substance. A society that celebrates titles without demanding competence risks producing people who are highly decorated but poorly equipped to solve its problems.

The future of Nigerian education, therefore, must be about more than producing graduates with impressive names and impressive certificates. It must produce thinkers, creators, ethical professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers and responsible citizens.

Nigeria does not merely need more people with titles. It needs more people whose knowledge deserves the titles they carry. The real measure of education should not be the letters that follow a person’s name but the value that a person’s knowledge adds to the world.

In the Nigeria of tomorrow, perhaps the most important educational title will not be Dr, Professor or Engineer. It will be competent.

(c) 2026 Ganiu Bamgbose writes from Lagos.