R.I.P Prof. Fafunwa

Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, Nigeria’s one-time minister of education, and brain behind the 6-3-3-4 system of education, is dead. He died earlier today in an Abuja hospital. He was aged 87, and only celebrated his 87th birthday 18 days ago.


Prof. Fafunwa was an accomplished educationist, and was the first Nigerian to bag a doctoral degree in education. He acted in various capacities in Nigerian universities, including occupying the position Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the then University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University). He also bagged numerous national and international awards.

He was one of the eggheads that worked in the IBB administration back then, and contributed immensely to the development of education in Nigeria. He was very emphatic on the teaching of the basic Nigerian languages in every Nigerian school.

Ironically, President Goodluck Jonathan had, last week, demanded that the late professor apologized for the failure of the 6-3-3-4 system of education. How a man gets blamed for introducing a system which successive governments have failed to give the priority it deserves still beats me. Now that he is dead, I am waiting to see how the federal government gets the much desired apology- as if that will repair the rot in the education sector.

Rest in peace, Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa.