Nigeria, the most populous African country, is not ranked among the top 10 countries with the best education system in the Dark Continent.

According to a report by Business Insider Africa, Cape Verde is the only country in the West African region to make the top 10.

Seychelles, Tunisia, Mauritius, South Africa, Algeria, Botswana, Kenya, Cape Verde, Egypt and Namibia are the best countries where quality education can be given in Africa.

The benchmark
The report said on Sunday: “The World Education Forum consulted 140 countries, including 38 African countries, to identify the best education systems based on skills development.

“The report used the overall level of labor force as well as the amount and quality of schooling in each nation to determine its criteria.

“The report found that digital literacy, interpersonal skills and the ability to think critically and creatively are all factors to consider.”

Why are they rated the best?
It has been revealed that Seychelles, an island country in East Africa with a population of 98,347 people, remains the first and only African country to achieve the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) goal “education for all” has been fully achieved.

This led to the country’s education system being named the best in Africa among the top 50 systems in the world, with the overall 43rd place.

It has 69.3 points and is ahead of Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

The second, third and fourth are respectively Tunisia, Mauritius and South Africa.

Tunisia has 61.4 points and claimed 71st in the world. The North African country has invested 20% of its national budget in the education sector.

Mauritius has made schooling compulsory until the age of 16 and therefore it scored 61 points and ranked 74th in the global education system.

The literacy rate in South Africa is 94 percent and it scored 58.4 points. It ranks 84th in the world.

Another North African country, Algeria, came fifth with 57.4 points, and the literacy rate in the country is 75%, while Botswana, a Southern African nation, claimed 56.7 points as number six on the record and 92nd best country in the global education system.

Kenya was 7th with 55.4 points and ranked the 95th best country in the world, with a 78.7% literacy rate. It has been estimated that the Kenyan government has allocated 17.58% of its budget to the education sector.

Cape Verde is 8th with 53.3 points and 98th in the world, Egypt is 9th with 52.8 points and globally ranked as the 99th best country in the world with a 71% literacy rate.

Namibia is 100th in the global education system and 10th in Africa, with a score of 52.7 points. The literacy rate in Namibia is 88.2%.

ASUU strike
Nigerian students at the tertiary level are probably facing the toughest educational battle of their life because of a face-off between the government-run university’s lecturers and the federal government.

The lecturers under the patronage of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are on a seven-month strike as a tool to press their demands.

While the case is in court as both parties have refused to move land, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is protesting in the streets.