Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the poor performance of African universities in global rankings, warning that the situation could hinder the continent’s technological advancement and industrial development.
Jonathan spoke 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 President said Africa would struggle to achieve meaningful technological development and industrialisation without strengthening its education systems and establishing specialised institutions capable of producing highly skilled manpower.
He lamented that no African university was currently 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 called on African leaders to increase investment in education and human capital development, stressing that the continent’s greatest resource was its people and their knowledge.
He cited Singapore as an example of a country that transformed its economy through deliberate investment in education, skills development and capacity building.
He also pointed to India’s emergence as a global technology hub, noting that the country established specialised institutions after independence to train highly skilled professionals in strategic fields.
According to Jonathan, African countries must move beyond an education system that primarily focuses on producing graduates and instead establish institutions that develop expertise in science, technology, engineering, information technology and innovation.
He warned that Africa risked being left behind by the ongoing technological revolution if urgent action was not taken to develop its human capital, particularly among young people.
“IT is now ruling the world. We cannot continue to lag behind. We must focus on young people.”
Jonathan also argued that Africa’s abundant natural resources alone could not guarantee prosperity. He said the continent must develop the capacity to transform its raw materials into high-value products and services through technology, innovation and industrialisation.
He urged the participants of the National Defence College, whom he described as emerging strategic leaders, to promote policies that would strengthen education, technological development and industrial capacity across their respective countries.
“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.”