Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the poor global ranking of African universities, describing it as a major setback to the continent’s technological development and industrialisation.
Jonathan made the remarks on Monday, August 24, 2026, while delivering a lecture titled “Harnessing Industrial Capacity for Inclusive Growth and Regional Stability in Africa” to participants of the National Defence College Course 34 in Abuja.
The former Nigerian leader said Africa could not achieve meaningful technological advancement and industrial growth without strengthening its education system and establishing specialised institutions capable of producing the skilled workforce needed to drive innovation.
He noted that no African university was ranked among the world’s top 100, while only the University of Cape Town featured among the top 200, describing the situation as “terribly bad.”
“We must review and recalibrate our businesses from the primary schools to the universities. We don’t have any specialised universities in Africa. It’s terribly bad,” Jonathan said.
He called on African leaders to prioritise investment in education and human capital development, stressing that the continent’s greatest resource is its people and their knowledge.
Jonathan cited Singapore’s economic transformation as an example of how strategic investment in education and capacity building can help a country achieve global competitiveness despite limited natural resources.
He also pointed to India’s rise as a global technology hub, noting that the country deliberately established specialised institutions after independence to develop highly skilled professionals and prepare for the future.
According to Jonathan, African countries must move beyond an education system that primarily produces graduates and instead establish institutions focused on science, technology, engineering, innovation and information technology.
He warned that Africa could be left behind in the ongoing technological revolution if urgent steps were not taken to develop the skills of its young population.
“If we miss out from industrial revolution, agri-revolution, all the revolutions, IT is now ruling the world. We cannot continue to lag behind. We must focus on young people,” he said.
Jonathan further argued that Africa’s vast natural resources alone would not guarantee prosperity unless countries developed the capacity to transform those resources into high-value products and services.
He said the continent possesses abundant natural resources, a large population and significant human capital, but continues to lag behind other regions in industrialisation and value addition.
The former President therefore urged African countries to make technological development a central part of their industrialisation strategies, noting that the world’s leading economies are increasingly driven by knowledge, innovation and technology rather than natural resources alone.
He also encouraged the graduating participants of the National Defence College, whom he described as emerging strategic leaders, to promote policies that would strengthen education, technological capacity and industrial development across Africa.
“We cannot achieve that overnight, but with a commitment by the leaders, a determination by the citizens, we can still change the story of Africa,” Jonathan added.
