“ _School Na Scam_”: The Cry of a Betrayed Generation.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In Nigeria today, a haunting phrase echoes through the corridors of broken dreams and unrealized ambitions: “ _School na scam_.” Once a careless joke or a meme used to escape academic stress, it has now become the bitter slogan of a generation robbed of its future. It is no longer mere sarcasm ; it is protest, pain and a subtle declaration of defeat.

Chinedu’s story is not unique. A brilliant student who graduated with First-Class Honours in Electrical Engineering, served his country during NYSC in Abuja, and held onto the illusion that academic excellence would be his ticket to success. Like many Nigerian youth, he was fed the mantra: “Study hard, get good grades and the world will be yours” but reality slapped him hard. Over 50 job applications yielded no interviews. When he applied for a role in a prestigious oil company (a position for which he was more than qualified) he was overlooked. Instead, a former classmate who barely attended lectures and partied through university got the job. The difference be say? His UNCLE na SENATOR.

This nor be FICTION. This is NIGERIA.

Nor be just Chinedu oo. Halima, a pharmacy graduate, now hawks perfumes from her handbag. Emeka, with a degree in Mass Communication, drives a Bolt cab to survive. Aisha, best in her department, ghostwrites social media posts for self-acclaimed influencers who barely made it past secondary school. These are the faces behind the phrase “ _SCHOOL na SCAM.”_

Atleast let’s be clear, SCHOOL is not the SCAM. The SYSTEM is.

A System That Betrays Its Brightest
Nigeria has created a society where CONNECTIONS matter more than COMPETENCE, where TRIBALISM, NEPOTISM and CORRUPTION have more value than MERIT and where effort rarely translates into reward. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), as of 2024, youth unemployment stands at over 42%. For every graduate like CHINEDU, there are thousands with similar stories; piling degrees, glowing recommendations and zero opportunities.

In contrast, children of the elite are sent abroad for schooling. When they return, they are appointed to plum positions in ministries, banks and oil firms. No tests, no interviews, just privilege. As Professor Pat Utomi once said, “ _Nigeria is a place where who you know is more important than what you know_.” In such a nation, dreams die early.

The Real Scam: A Nation Without a Plan
The real scam is not EDUCATION; it’s a nation that doesn’t VALUE it. How can one justify a system where politicians budget billions for their comfort while public universities remain UNDERFUNDED? Where lecturers go on strike every year and students spend 6 years on a 4-year course? Where graduate interns are paid PEANUTS (if anything at all) while lawmakers pocket millions monthly?

As of 2023, Nigeria allocated just 5.3% of its national budget to education, far below UNESCO’s recommended 15–20%. Universities operate with outdated curricula, poorly equipped labs and underpaid lecturers. Yet, we expect world-class graduates?

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, once noted, “ _Our biggest resource is our human capital, yet we treat it like it’s disposable.”_ Nigeria keeps pushing its best minds to the edge, forcing them to choose between driving taxis and leaving the country.

When HUSTLE Replaces HOPE
In the vacuum left by a failed system, a new gospel emerged: “ _Hustle by all means_.” Whether it’s cryptocurrency, forex, betting, content creation or even fraud, young Nigerians have learned not to rely on certificates but on survival skills. When a former classmate of Chinedu speeds past in a Mercedes Benz and says, “ _Crypto changed my life. Nobody send degree again_,” he’s not bragging, he’s stating a bitter fact.

This is not to dismiss hard work or entrepreneurship. Many youths have risen legitimately through tech, fashion, arts and agriculture, but the dangerous narrative that formal education is useless thrives because the country has failed to reward it. In saner climes, EDUCATION unlocks doors. In NIGERIA, it leads you to a GATE with no KEYHOLE.

The Mental Health Toll
This betrayal comes at a cost, a silent mental health epidemic. Depression, anxiety, frustration and suicide ideation are on the rise among Nigerian youth. According to a 2023 survey by SBM Intelligence, over 31% of young Nigerians said they would “japa” (emigrate) at the slightest opportunity, citing hopelessness and lack of prospects.

Behind every “ _school na scam”_ chant lies deep emotional wounds. It is the language of pain. When people are constantly told to “GO TO SCHOOL,” “GET A JOB,” “SETTLE DOWN,” and they do everything right but still get nothing, what else are they expected to believe?

As the late Chinua Achebe rightly said, “ _The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”_ This failure has trickled down to every facet of our national life, most painfully in how we treat our educated youth.

What Can Be Done?
The situation is dire, but not irreversible. First, we must confront the brutal truth: Nigeria is not poor; but it is poorly managed. Rebuilding trust in education requires the following:

Meritocracy must be institutionalized. Recruitment into government and corporate institutions should be based on competence, not connections.

Revamp and fund the educational sector. Increase the education budget to meet global standards. Update the curriculum to meet the demands of a digital and knowledge-based economy.

Create real opportunities. Industrialization, digital economy incentives and vocational hubs must become national priorities. A country with 60% youth population cannot afford to waste its future.

Tackle corruption ruthlessly. Until the elite stop treating Nigeria as their private estate, the system will remain rigged against ordinary citizens.

Support mental health and career counselling. Graduates must be helped to transition from academia to the marketplace with guidance and psychological support.

Final Thoughts
When Nigerian youth say “SCHOOL na SCAM,” don’t be quick to scold them. Listen. Behind their words are broken dreams and betrayed expectations. They are not attacking education; they are condemning a system that PROMISED gold and DELIVERED dust.

Chinedu’s pain is the collective pain of a nation that abandoned its most educated, most brilliant and most hopeful citizens. The solution is not to mock them but to fix the system that failed them.

Education is not the scam.

The real scam is a Nigeria that crushes MERIT and glorifies MEDIOCRITY.

Until we change that, “school na scam” will not just be a slogan…it will remain our national tragedy.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com