Beyond FG’s mathematics waiver: The broader issues  

The federal government’s recent decision to waive Mathematics as a compulsory admission requirement for certain university courses has sparked widespread debate among educators, parents, students, and policymakers.

While much of the public discourse has focused on the merits and drawbacks of the waiver itself, the controversy has also brought to the fore deeper concerns about the state of Nigeria’s education system.

Questions about the quality of basic education, students’ preparedness for higher learning, and the widening skills gap in the labour market have emerged as critical issues deserving equal attention.

According to WAEC statistics, in 2023 May/June WASSCE for school candidates, 20.19 percent failed to achieve a credit pass in Mathematics, in the 2024 May/June, 27.88 percent of students failed to obtain a credit pass, including Mathematics and English Language, while in 2025 WASSCE, 37.04 percent failed to hit this crucial benchmark.

This trend of failure reflects a downward performance in the subject; which experts say calls for attention and not just a waiver.

Tosin Ojo, convener of Verboheit Mathematics League Competition, emphasised that the way the subject is being taught in schools should be a concern to policymakers.

“The logic behind teaching mathematics only in English, instead of in students’ mother tongues, is not convincing, why do students need English to understand mathematics? The Chinese teach their children mathematics in Chinese. That’s why they are the continent of technology.

“The Germans teach their children mathematics in German. Why do you need to know English to be able to know maths in Nigeria?” she asked.

In addition, she said, “The way these countries teach mathematics is by demystifying it, because they’re not trying to teach them English before teaching the children mathematics.”

Mathematics as a life skill/ course

Tolulope Elubode, business development/partnerships at Grovane Advisory Partners, highlighted the roles of mathematics in a person’s life, when he said that numeracy is an important skill in a successful career, especially in corporate finance.

“Numeracy, mathematics generally, is something that we need even in life generally.

“Everything is a number, and that’s the reason mathematics is an important course, and/or a compulsory course in school; it’s a life skill, something you need to apply to your daily life,” he said.

According to Rachad Zaki in Cambridge Mathematics, stated that Mathematics is not just a book or an assessment. It is more than a grade or a degree. Mathematics is relevant for how sublime it is, and we need to accentuate that.

Mathematics is not just memorising and applying formulas, sketching a graph, solving an equation, or finding the area of a 2D-shape, and we need to ensure it is not perceived as such.

Nothing activates critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills like mathematics.  It pushes mankind to think about everything he deals with in real life from finances and measurements to more impalpable topics like the origin of the universe and the future of human intelligence, and even infinity and beyond.

However, some scholars argue that Mathematics is not a ‘life course’ in the traditional sense of a specific university degree. They say it operates as an essential, lifelong toolkit.

From managing personal finances and analyzing data to cultivating deep problem-solving skills, math shapes our daily decisions and professional success throughout our entire lives.

“Budgeting, understanding interest rates, paying off loans, and managing investments are lifelong mathematical necessities for adulthood.

Beyond numbers, math trains your brain to break down complex issues, fostering critical thinking, independence, and resilience in the face of problem-solving,” they say.

Adekunle Oguntimehin, a parent, said, “The importance of the subject mathematics cannot be overemphasised. Waiving it for some courses, I think is a big mistake which may later in life affect the student analytical reasoning capability.

“Again most countries in the world are embracing AI and tech irrespective of one’s discipline. Mathematics play a crucial role in the ability to understand tech and AI driven courses, so by implication waving it, will further exacerbate the knowledge gap when compared to other nations who are on the front seat in tech and AI innovations.”

For Gloria Akinsola, a teacher, “Waiving maths only for courses with zero quantitative requirement makes sense. It widens access without compromising the course, but waiving it across the board is risky.

“I lean toward ‘targeted waiver and compulsory basic numeracy’ being the smart move. Mathematics shouldn’t be a gatekeeper where it’s irrelevant, but no graduate should leave university unable to handle percentages, graphs, or basic data.”

However, Friday Erhabor, director of media and strategies at Marklenez Limited argues that one does not need mathematics to be a good journalist.

“How does mathematics help your news gathering and reporting capacity?  How does mathematics help a performing artist to excel? How does it even help a lawyer?

“What is required is basic elementary arithmetic knowledge and not the bogus credit in mathematics,” he said.

Nevertheless, Ojo believes that one cannot be a good financial lawyer without mathematics skills.

“How can you defend a client involved in financial issues if you don’t understand figures as a lawyer, or excel as a business reporter?

“Mathematics is a core skill that’s integral to life and must be demystified,” she said.

As the debate continues, policymakers and stakeholders must resist the temptation to view the issue in isolation. The real challenge lies in building an education system that equips students with the foundational knowledge, critical thinking skills, and competencies needed to thrive in higher education and the modern workplace.

Rather than focusing solely on admission requirements, attention should be directed towards improving the quality of teaching and learning at the basic and secondary school levels, reviewing curricula to reflect contemporary realities, and strengthening career guidance for students.