By Olayinka Latona

Bishop Charles Ighele, General Superintendent of the Holy Spirit Mission (The Happy Family Nation), has called for the restructuring of Nigeria’s education system to align with global trends.

He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the knowledge students acquire and how it equips them for practical applications.

Expressing concern over the state of Nigeria’s education sector, Bishop Ighele, in his New Year message made available to Vanguard Newspaper, lamented the failure of public primary and secondary schools to adequately train students intellectually and emotionally.

The cleric highlighted that the system has failed to provide two critical elements of education: mental development and civilized behavior. He noted, “One of Nigeria’s major problems, dating back to the military era, is that public primary and secondary schools are run in such a way that over 95% of students lack intellectual and emotional development. The educational system also fails to polish them into becoming civilized citizens.”

According to Bishop Ighele, when the products of an education system do not meet these two essential requirements, they are often unable to be productive or contribute meaningfully to national development. He warned, “A ‘vicious circle’ of poverty and criminality is then set in motion, preventing national progress. Without total societal re-engineering of the social substructure by the ruling class, Nigeria cannot achieve a glorious superstructure or become a natural attraction to its citizens and others.”

He expressed hope for change, adding, “I hope the ruling class will understand this. Once they do, there shall be hope for Nigeria. I am optimistic that things will improve in due course.”

In his message to Nigerians, Bishop Ighele encouraged citizens to identify and develop their God-given talents, emphasizing the importance of leveraging these abilities to enhance earning capacity and contribute to personal and national growth.

“My appeal to Nigerians is to face the New Year with resilience. Things are tough, but I urge citizens not to fight each other in their struggle to survive. Instead, they should identify their areas of skill and educate themselves accordingly,” he stated.

“They should use their skills to work, develop a spirit of contentment, and pursue God-fearing ambitions to rise in life. Things are tough and will likely get tougher. For the past 15 years, I have been telling Nigerians that the real suffering has yet to begin—and it is now about to start.”