Jonathan lamented the poor ranking of African universities, saying they were “very poor”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan described the situation as “very bad”, with no African university ranked in the world’s top 100, while only the University of Cape Town is ranked in the top 200.

He stated that this situation is a major setback for the continent’s technological and industrial development.

Jonathan spoke on Monday in Abuja while delivering a talk titled, “Leveraging Industrial Capacity for Inclusive Growth and Regional Stability in Africa,” to participants of Course 34 of the National Defense College.

He said Africa cannot achieve meaningful technological progress and industrialization without strengthening its education system and building specialized institutions capable of producing a skilled workforce.

“We have to review and recalibrate our business from primary schools to universities. We don’t have a dedicated university in Africa. This is very bad,” he said.

The former President urged African leaders to prioritize investment in education and human capital development, describing the human brain as one of the continent’s most important resources.

Citing Singapore’s economic transformation, Jonathan said the country’s development was largely driven by deliberate investment in education and capacity building despite its limited natural resources.

He also cited India’s emergence as a global information technology hub, and said the country had deliberately set up specialized institutions to develop a highly skilled workforce.

“India, after independence from England, established institutions that prepared India for the future. They established special institutions, not for everyone. They trained their best brains to control and dominate the world,” said Jonathan.

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He said African countries must move beyond education systems that largely produce graduates without the specialized skills required by modern economies.

Jonathan urged African leaders to develop institutions capable of fostering innovation in science, technology, engineering and information technology, especially among the younger generation.

He warned that Africa risks losing out on the current technological revolution if urgent action is not taken to develop its human capital.

“If we miss the industrial revolution, the agro revolution, all revolutions, IT is now ruling the world. We can’t continue to be left behind. We have to focus on the younger generation,” he said.

Jonathan also said Africa’s abundant natural resources do not automatically guarantee prosperity unless countries develop the capacity to convert them into high-value goods and services.

He noted that the continent has large natural resources, human resources and markets but still lags behind other regions in terms of added value and industrialization.

The former President urged the NDC participants, whom he described as the new strategic leaders, to fight for policies that will strengthen education, technological capacity and industrial development in their respective countries.

He said the transformation of Africa’s education and industrial sectors requires sustained political commitment and determination.

“We can’t achieve this overnight, but with commitment from leaders, determination from people, we can still change the state of Africa,” said Jonathan.

In his remarks, the Minister of Defense, General Christopher Musa (ret.), said strengthening Nigeria’s defense autonomy was critical to achieving sustainable economic growth, resilience and national security.

Musa, who was the guest of honor at the event, said that security and prosperity are mutually reinforcing, and emphasized that sustainable development cannot thrive in an unsafe environment.

“Lasting peace cannot be maintained without inclusive economic growth, just as sustainable development cannot thrive in an insecure environment,” he said.

The minister said industrial capacity has become a strategic imperative for Nigeria and Africa, as a resilient industrial base will strengthen economic competitiveness, create productive employment and enhance national resilience.

He also urged African countries to implement policies that would encourage industrialization, innovation and shared prosperity.