Provost Pushes For Overhaul Of Nigeria’s Education System

As Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforms industries across the globe, the founder of 02 Academy Nigeria, Ozone Mbanefo, has called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s education system.

He regretted that many institutions are still preparing students for jobs and realities that are fast disappearing.

Mbanefo, who also serves as Provost of the academy, said the rise of AI has fundamentally altered what it means to be valuable in today’s economy, making traditional models of education increasingly inadequate.

Speaking on the future of learning and workforce readiness, the education entrepreneur argued that the challenge facing Nigeria is no longer simply about bridging the gap between school and industry, but about preparing young people to function in a world where intelligent systems are becoming deeply integrated into everyday work and decision-making.

According to him, while educational institutions continue to evolve gradually, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence are advancing at an exponential rate, creating a dangerous mismatch between classroom learning and real-world demands.

“The question is no longer whether students are ready for the workforce. The real question is whether they are prepared to compete and collaborate with intelligent systems,” Mbanefo said.

He noted that AI has already begun reshaping industries by automating tasks once considered uniquely human, including writing, analysis, design, prediction and decision support.

In his view, this reality demands a complete shift in how schools define intelligence, learning and employability.

‘’There was a time when knowledge alone was power. Today, knowledge is everywhere. It is searchable, accessible and increasingly automated. If machines can execute tasks faster and at scale, then we must stop training students merely for repetition and routine execution.”

Mbanefo argued that the future belongs to individuals who can think critically, solve problems creatively, exercise sound judgment and adapt continuously to technological change.

Mbanefo stressed that AI literacy should no longer be treated as a specialized skill reserved for technology experts, insisting that understanding how AI works, where it can be applied and where its limitations exist should become a foundational aspect of modern education.