Emmanuel M. Akpabio is a Professor in the Department of Geography & Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, Nigeria
Introduction
In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed an alarming erosion of Geography’s relevance across its educational and policy landscapes.
This decline is not a matter of academic nostalgia—it is a national crisis. Geography, the discipline that helps societies understand their environment, manage resources, plan cities, and navigate the complexities of global geopolitics, has been pushed to the margins of Nigeria’s education and development frameworks.
The consequences are profound. A nation that neglects Geography effectively blinds itself to the spatial, environmental, and geopolitical realities shaping its future.
From climate change to national security, from urban expansion to food systems, Nigeria’s most pressing challenges are geographical in nature—yet the country continues to underinvest in geographical literacy and expertise.
The Long Slide into Marginalisation
There was a time when Geography held a place of honour in Nigerian schools.
In the decades following independence, it was a core subject that nurtured generations of planners, environmental scientists, surveyors, and development experts.
That foundation supported national planning, infrastructure design, and environmental management. However, the tide turned in the 1990s with curriculum reforms that quietly downgraded Geography.
It was no longer compulsory at the secondary level and was often merged into generic Social Studies or Civic Education.
At the tertiary level, Geography became trapped in rigid academic silos—neither fully natural science nor social science—and thus lost institutional visibility.
The introduction of the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) has worsened this crisis.
While well-intentioned, the CCMAS framework fails to recognise Geography’s inherently interdisciplinary nature, making it increasingly difficult for universities to sustain or expand Geography programmes.
Lessons from Abroad
Around the world, countries that understand the strategic value of Geography are investing heavily in it.
In the United Kingdom, Geography is a key part of national education, shaping students’ understanding of global change and spatial awareness.
In the United States, the discipline has been revitalised to address issues such as climate change, migration, and national security.
Emerging economies like China, India, and Brazil have embedded Geography at the heart of their education systems to guide urbanisation, environmental policy, and resource management.
These nations recognise that no society can effectively plan, protect its environment, or compete globally without a robust grasp of spatial and environmental dynamics.
Why Geography Is Central to Nigeria’s Future
Nigeria’s developmental challenges—security, urbanisation, resource management, and climate change—cannot be tackled without Geography. Security and Geopolitics: Understanding border vulnerabilities, migration patterns, and regional instability is inherently geographical.
Climate Adaptation: Nigeria’s exposure to desertification, flooding, and coastal erosion demands data-driven geographical solutions.
Urbanisation and Infrastructure:
The rapid growth of cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt requires spatial planning and environmental foresight—both grounded in Geography. Natural Resource Governance: Effective management of water, land, forests, and minerals depends on spatial analysis and environmental systems thinking. National Integration: Geography helps build national cohesion by promoting awareness of Nigeria’s cultural and ecological diversity.
If Nigeria continues to neglect Geography, it risks raising a generation of policymakers unable to interpret the spatial realities of development, leaving critical national decisions to be made in the dark.
A Call to Action: Reclaiming Geography for National Development
This crisis demands urgent and coordinated action. The Association of Nigerian Geographers (ANG) must take the lead, but it cannot act alone. The NUC, Federal Ministry of Education, military education corps, and State and Local Education Boards all have vital roles to play.
Restore Geography as a Core Subject: The Federal Ministry of Education should reinstate Geography as a mandatory subject in the national secondary school curriculum.
Reform University Frameworks: NUC should revise CCMAS to reflect Geography’s interdisciplinary scope—bridging environmental science, social studies, and geospatial technology.
Empower Institutions: Universities should establish Faculties of Geography to house specialised departments such as Climate Science, Geospatial Studies, Political Geography, and Regional Development.
Invest in Research Hubs: Nigeria needs applied Geography research centres to guide national responses to flooding, desertification, and resource conflicts.
Leverage Technology: The integration of GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data analysis should be central to Geography training and national development planning.
National Awareness Campaigns: ANG, in collaboration with ministries and professional bodies, should lead public education initiatives to highlight Geography’s role in everyday governance and sustainability.
A Model from the University of Uyo
The University of Uyo is already taking bold steps by proposing a Faculty of Geography with seven specialised departments, spanning human and physical geography to geospatial technologies.
This initiative demonstrates that institutional transformation is both feasible and necessary.
It can serve as a national model for how Geography can be restructured to meet 21st-century challenges.
The Stakes for Nigeria
Geography is not an optional discipline—it is the foundation for informed governance and sustainable development.
A nation without geographers is like a ship without navigators: adrift, vulnerable, and unable to see the storms ahead.
The Federal Government, the NUC, and the military establishment—especially those involved in intelligence, logistics, and territorial management—should recognise Geography as a national security asset.
State and local governments, too, must integrate geographical knowledge into planning, disaster management, and land administration.
If Nigeria is serious about achieving Vision 2050, climate resilience, and national stability, then the revival of Geography is not merely desirable—it is urgent.
Emmanuel M. Akpabio,
Professor, Dept of Geography & Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, Nigeria
Director of International Programmes, University of Uyo.
