Yusuff George Adedoyin, an educator with teaching experience in Nigeria and the United States, has called for a broader approach to education that prepares Nigerian students not only to pass examinations but also to navigate further education, employment and everyday life.

In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, Adedoyin argued that secondary schools should begin deliberately equipping students with what he describes as “Market Value Assets” — practical and verifiable skills or achievements that can help young people demonstrate their abilities to universities and employers.

According to him, students should not complete secondary education without a clear understanding of their next steps.

He believes schools should take greater responsibility for helping learners build evidence of their abilities before graduation rather than leaving them to acquire career-relevant skills only after leaving school.

For Adedoyin, the approach would require schools to look beyond examination performance and consider whether students are developing competencies that can be applied beyond the classroom.

He also identified teacher quality as one of the most important issues confronting Nigeria's education sector.

The educator argued that attracting and retaining capable teachers would require better remuneration, incentives and sustained professional development, including opportunities for teachers to learn from both local and international practices.

He maintained that well-trained teachers are better positioned to push for improvements in school infrastructure, learning resources and funding.

Adedoyin also stressed that teachers themselves must adapt as technology changes the way students learn and work.

He said educators should become comfortable with digital resources, learning-management systems and artificial intelligence, while ensuring that technology remains a tool rather than a replacement for sound teaching and critical thinking.

In his view, digital education should strengthen fundamental abilities such as reading, mathematics, clear reasoning, discipline and accurate work.

He argued that artificial intelligence can help teachers create exercises, provide feedback and offer explanations tailored to different learners, but said teachers must remain responsible for ensuring that students understand information and produce honest work.

His comments reflect a broader shift in education towards combining traditional academic foundations with digital and employability skills. Nigeria's education authorities have also increasingly emphasised digital literacy, skills development and the alignment of education with labour-market needs.

Drawing from his experience teaching in both Nigeria and the United States, Adedoyin said one of the major differences he observed was the teaching approach.

He described Nigerian classrooms as often being more teacher-centred, with lessons built around explanation, note-taking and examinations. By contrast, he said American classrooms can be more student-centred, with differentiated tasks and greater emphasis on participation.

However, he did not suggest that Nigeria should simply copy the American system.

Instead, he argued that Nigerian schools could retain their emphasis on academic content while adopting approaches that recognise differences in students' learning abilities and encourage greater classroom participation.

For him, the ideal teacher should be able to maintain authority while also understanding individual students and helping them participate meaningfully in the learning process.

Adedoyin also believes a teacher's responsibility extends beyond explaining subjects.

He said teachers should help students identify their abilities, develop leadership qualities and make better-informed career decisions based on demonstrated strengths.

Rather than relying solely on encouragement or praise, he argued that students should be observed through their work and given opportunities to demonstrate what they can do.

He also highlighted the importance of extracurricular activities such as chess, sports and entrepreneurship.

According to him, activities outside the conventional classroom can reveal abilities that examinations may not measure. They can also help young people develop qualities such as leadership, teamwork, persistence, strategic thinking and the ability to deal with setbacks.

He said the objective should not be to keep students busy with activities for their own sake, but to give them opportunities to discover interests and abilities that could influence their future paths.

Adedoyin further encouraged young Nigerians who are considering careers in education not to be discouraged by the challenges facing the sector.

He acknowledged concerns surrounding remuneration, infrastructure and the influence of politics on professionalism but argued that more people should enter education with the intention of contributing to its improvement.

His position is that meaningful reform requires people who are willing to work within the system while pushing for changes that can improve outcomes for learners.

At the centre of his argument is the belief that education should prepare young people for more than the next examination.

For Nigerian students, that means combining strong academic foundations with practical skills, digital competence, career awareness, leadership opportunities and experiences that can help them transition more confidently into higher education or the workplace.

As Nigeria continues to debate how to improve learning outcomes and address the gap between education and employment, educators such as Adedoyin are calling for schools to measure success not only by certificates and examination scores, but also by what students are capable of doing after they leave the classroom.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia