The term education has a different meaning depending on the interpreter's experience. For instance, religious leaders, politicians, parents, teachers and administrators define the term education in their way. For students, education is acquiring knowledge; religious leaders associate education with spiritual concepts and teachers to create. The term education comes from the Latin word 'educate,' which means to 'bring up' or 'draw out the child's latent power. Emile Durkheim defines education as action exercised by the older people to socialize with the younger generation. Durkheim views education to develop a child's moral state, intellectual and social life as defined by society [1]. Durkheim viewed education as a means of achieving social progress and prosperity; however, it is not Nigeria's case.

The effectiveness of education depends on the quality of education; Nigeria and Africa have low-quality education. At the dawn of independence, African nations placed education as a focal point of economic growth and sustainable development. However, according to the African Union (AU) report, the continent characterized a high school enrollment rate with system dysfunction, huge disparities and inefficiencies that are vastly underdeveloped [2]. Ayodele Odusola, UNDP's chief economist, argues that quality education is vital in reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development. However, African countries have an ineffective policy that has failed to ensure effective transition from one education system to another. Ms. Lusigi, UNDP Africa strategic advisor, notes that only 30-50% of secondary-school-aged children attend school, whereas only 7 to 23% enroll in tertiary education [2]. The continent, specifically Nigeria, has the highest number of youth populations and calls for adequate investment in the education sector. 

Nigeria must recognize science education as the primary pillar of achieving sustainable development. According to Dialoke [3], Nigeria should focus on science education to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the author notes that Nigeria's education system cannot support the Millennium Development (MDGs) achievement. The education system receives inadequate funding, inadequate science and technology infrastructure, lack of adequate science teachers, among other shortcomings, specifically in the rural areas. Science education is vital because it is a way of knowing that involves understanding the natural and physical world. Students inquire about the knowledge through prediction, observation and experimentation. Science enhances an attitude of objectivity, search of evidence and self-examination. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [4] claims that achieving SDGs is dependent on the power of science. The article states that science allows people to understand and navigate economic, social and environmental objectives. UNDESA recommended the member states strengthen the science-policy interface. This paper, therefore, discusses the need for a holistic consideration of the place of the non-formal education, the strengthening of science and entrepreneurship education and admission policies into relevant courses that will directly address Nigerians' needs of SDGs.  

Nigeria Education System

Nigeria has three fundamentally different education systems, notably Informal Education, Islamic Education and Western Education. Before the introduction of Western Education, the country depended on a traditional or informal education system. Dialoke [3] argues that the informal education system has remained the most popular form of education primarily used by the locals to make a person-helpful member of the society. Traditional education focuses on group solidarity by training every person to become vital community members who believe in their rules and regulations. 

The Quran or Islamic education is a Muslim's education system. According to Enwo-Irem [5], the Islamic system traces back to the 13^th century during the Northern part of Nigeria's Islamization. Recently, the education system has spread to the Western and Eastern parts of Nigeria but with minimal significance. The Islamic course focuses on teaching Quran, Arabic alphabets and copying texts in Arabic and texts needed in the Islamic daily prayers. Other functions include teaching logic, rhetoric, jurisprudence, grammar, syntax, asthmatic, algebra and theology [5]. The Islamic and traditional education system uses an informal approach and teaching does not have a reservation. 

Western-style education is the latest education system that teaches the locals the European culture and focuses on examination. According to Enwo–Irem [5], the Western education system arrived in Nigeria in 1842 with the Wesleyan Christian Missionaries' arrival at Badagry. The education system prepared the recipient new opportunities, notably evangelism, teaching, clerks, interpreters, or pastors. The literary education focused on reading, writing, religion and arithmetic. Enwo–Irem [5] argues that science education lacks the requirements needed to achieve technological advancement and economic development needed in Nigeria.

Science Education

Science education is vital in problem-solving. Moedas [6] argues that scientific knowledge is an integral part of preparing society to be actively engaged and become responsible citizens. Science gears learners to become creative and innovative and work collaboratively aware of the complex challenges facing humanity. Studies show that science education is vital in achieving societal challenges such as feeding and housing the population, healthy living, supply of enough clean water and mitigating global climate change. For instance, 40% of European citizens believe that science and technological innovation positively impact the environment, basic infrastructure and health and medical care [6]. The European Commission claims that science education should be an essential component of preschool's learning continuum to activate engaged citizenship [6]. The essence of science education includes:

• To empower responsible participation in public science conversations, debates and decision-making as active engagement citizens in the significant challenges facing humanity today

• To enable public, private and third-sector organizations to find appropriately skilled and knowledgeable people and to promote and nurture an innovative environment where companies and other stakeholders from around the world want to invest, work and live

• To promote a culture of scientific thinking and inspire citizens to use evidence-based reasoning for decision making

• To ensure citizens have the confidence, knowledge and skills to participate actively in an increasingly complex scientific and technological world

• To develop the competencies for problem-solving and innovation, as well as analytical and critical thinking that are necessary to empower citizens to lead personally fulfilling, socially responsible and professionally-engaged lives

• To inspire children and students of all ages and talents to aspire to careers in science and other occupations and professions that underpin our knowledge and innovation-intensive societies and economies, in which they can be creative and accomplished

Science education helps students interpret, understand and manage risks. The education system put perspective into technological development, innovation and forecasting innovation. However, this is not common the case in a typical Nigerian science classroom. Kola et al. [7] argue that Nigeria has remained a developing nation fifty years after independence because of a lack of a functional science education system. For instance, lack of good governance has thwarted the country's ability to tap into the available abundant natural and human resources that are enough for functional science. Therefore, Nigeria teachers must learn to carry students and much flexibility if Science Education leads to meaningful learning. Science education takes place in different settings, including informal, non-formal and formal education. 

Informal Education

Studies show that informal learning increases students' interest in learning science. According to Roberts et al. [8], the informal learning experience can support students' knowledge and experience in the formal STEM learning environment. Informal education addresses the limitation caused by formal education. The study notes that students struggling with formal education increases awareness and interest when taught using informal means. The learning environment encompasses real-world examples and helps students understand the concept and their ability to recall information. Past studies show that students who engage in short and long-term informal STEM education have improved their STEM education interest [8]. For instance, an informal education known as the See Blue See STEM model provides an engaging and motivating platform for students to explore, communicate, investigate and inquire the programming and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, it allows students to work in a community of practice. The study found that an informal learning environment provides context and purpose to formal earning, extended STEM content learning, student engagement and students' opportunity and access.

Nonformal Education

Non-formal education allows the school to engage students, making them a better version of themselves. The United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [9] defines non-formal education as an addition, alternative and complement to formal education within lifelong learning individuals. A study by Tabacaru [10] claims that formal education is attracting a lack of interest and the non-formal system is growing and expanding as a powerful tool of changing earning culture. The article notes that non-formal education is the process that takes a lifetime through which a person acquires knowledge, skills and understanding from daily experiences [10]. Education refers to any selected types of education to a specific group of people of the population. Fakhruddin and Shofwan [11] argue that non-formal education function as a complement to formal education and are vital in building a community for the better. The system is crucial to citizens who need educational services that function as substitutes or formal education enhancers to support lifelong education. The course focuses more on training to develop community skills. Fakhruddin and Shofwan [11] argue that non-formal education enhances human skills vital in achieving SDGs by improving life quality. The education enhances the condition of the village community towards improving their welfare. 

Nigeria's national policy of education has set policy for non-formal education. According to Abubakar [12], non-formal education policies include providing functional literacy and continuing education for adults and youths not in the formal system. Non-formal education provides practical and remedial instruction to young people who never completed secondary education and offered education for different categories of the formal education system's completers to improve their basic knowledge and skills. The non-formal gives adult citizens the necessary aesthetic, cultural and civic education for public enlightenment. The course provides professional training for different categories of employees to improve their skills. 

Formal Education 

Formal education is a structured and systematic form of learning governed by an organization. The essence of the organization is to standardize the education system in all learning institutions. The system is classroom-based that utilizes learning materials to educate the learners. The system ensures consistency and standardized education by employing specialized and licensed teachers to teach the learners. However, Nigeria's formal education system has several challenges, including poor governance. Kola et al. [7] claim that the country's education system lacks visionary leaders and good management, which has affected the education system. The country high level of insecurity, kidnapping, unemployment, divorce, deprivation and hunger. Kola et al. [7] argue that although the Nigeria tertiary institution is a good initiative; however, the lack of good governance has made the program not valuable for the nation. 

The university education system does not empower a proper nation; as a result, educated Nigeria youths have become criminals. Furthermore, the system is not well-funded [7]. For instance, most biologist graduates end up in the teaching profession despite other prospects such as fish farming or fishery. Chemical and physical education should prepare graduates for self-employment, including soap making, insecticide production, working in telecommunication, healthcare and many others. However, the formal education system has insufficient funds required to enhance practical knowledge.

Nigeria's lousy governance of the education sector has affected several science education areas, notably research, teacher's education training and infrastructure. According to Kola et al. [7], government corruption and lack of funding have killed scientific research. UNESCO charter requires the government to allocate 26% to the sector; however, that is not the case in Nigeria [3]. According to Yetunde [13], the federal government located N605.8 billion (7.04%) of the 8.6 trillion budgets for education. Most of the investment does not go for development purposes, with 71% (N435.1 billion) of the allocated N605.8 billion going to recurrent expenditure and only 10% (N61.73 billion) for capital expenditure. The government allocated N109.06 billion to the Universal Basic Education Commission without providing proper capital investment. Inadequate funding has affected the infrastructure as many schools lack essential equipment for conducive learning, with the science sector the most affected. 

Science education has failed to progress and remained stagnant in the past. The institution has been unable to add valuable knowledge and teachers cannot discover and invent new things but are reliant on other people's findings. Teachers' education and training are inferior compared to other developing nations as they lack adequate pedagogical content knowledge for science teaching. The curriculum of teacher education has failed to integrate modern teaching methods, thereby not meeting the Nigerian youths' present needs. Most teachers still rely on outdated teaching methods, which cannot produce authentic learning in schools. According to Kola et al. [7], the infrastructure affects science learning as some students still learn under the trees. Science lecturers lack conducive offices and often avoid staying in the school premises and the science laboratories lack modern equipment. The students learning science only engage in theoretical aspects rather than practical concepts. 

Sustainable Development

UNESCO defines sustainable development as development that meets the present's needs without affecting future people's ability to meet their own needs. The process requires good governance to produce institutions capable of meeting the people's rising demand and maintaining steady growth improvement of the people's ability and capacity. As a result, the United Nations set 17 SDGs for 2030 to address the economic and climate challenges. Some of SDG's provision includes the provision of sufficient food, water to all and energy. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [4] claims that since the adoption of SDGs, positive development has made countries incorporate the SDGs' goals in their national agenda. 

However, the latest scientific assessment reveals that the world is not on track to achieve SDGs. For instance, there is a rising level of inequality, increasing waste from human activities, biodiversity loss and climate change. The report further indicates that the negative trend moves towards a tipping point, which could dramatically change the earth system's condition is irreversible ways [4]. According to Liu et al. [14], climate change and unregulated populations pose a threat to sustainable development. The article claims that the projected nine billion of the world population and the expected increase in per capita buying by 2050 will pose global challenges such as water scarcity, reducing food security, health problems and climate change. The UN report suggests a massive transformation in governance, economics and finance, individual and collective action and science and technology. 

Nigeria must invest in science and technology for the nation to achieve sustainable development. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [4] report, science and technology are the heart of achieving SDGs. Investing in science is crucial as it allows a nation to anticipates future consequences and generate evidence, which is vital in finding sustainable transformation. In the early 1960s, governments, including Nigeria, took massive science reform activities to pupils' science at all education levels. The Nigerian government has laid the foundation of science education at all education levels. However, studies show that Nigeria's science education teachings are not producing the desired effect of sustainable development. For instance, there is a widening gap between students' expectations in science classes and experience [3]. The education system does not prepare students to use their minds to solve a problem or innovate concepts that will change Nigeria's nation's economic status. Therefore, the country's governance must invest in improving science and technology.

Good governance is vital in achieving sustainable development. SDG's goal 16 acknowledges the importance of good management in achieving sustainable development. However, Nigeria's lousy administration has affected scientific progress. The government has failed to allocate the recommended resources to the education sector. For instance, underinvestment in the teacher's education has hindered Nigerian students' quality at all levels [7]. Academic infrastructure lacks adequate funds to the extent some schools teach children under trees without tables or seats. UNESCO charter requires countries to spend 26% of national expenditure on the education sector [3]. However, the Nigerian federal government has failed to adhere to UNESCO recommendations. According to Varrella [15], 2014 is the Nigerian federal government spent more on education (14%). The report further states that in 2018, the government spent 7% on education. Underfunding affects the education sector's ability to produce graduates capable of innovating and solving the emerging problem. 

The Way Forward (The Sustainable Development Way)

Achieving the above goals requires restricting the education sector to strengthen non-formal education, science and entrepreneurship education and adopt relevant policies into relevant courses to sustain sustainable development directly. The identified sectors allow the government to have a productive and innovative population capable of solving emerging issues. The education sector should empower the student with critical thinking and desire to become entrepreneurs rather than employees. The following changes are vital in the academic sector. 

Authentic Education

Nigeria lacks quality functional education that only focus on producing scientist rather than academicians that can be effective in their personal lives. Nigerian students require an authentic learning experience and education system that do not focus on theory but transfers theory to practice. Authentic learning is an inquiry form of learning that involves asking meaningful questions, drawing a conclusion, finding information and reflecting on possible solutions. The articles note that students should learn real things before learning becomes helpful, determined and direct. Authentic learning should focus on real-world, complex problems and their solutions. The process of attaining authentic education requires restructuring the science and technology curricular. The curricular should integrate expert knowledge and skills into the education system. Science classes should not focus on acquiring science processes and principles but using the ability to conduct practical and, for instance, applying the knowledge of distillation to prepare ethanol for consumption and industrial use. 

Population Control

Nigeria's government must control and check population growth. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division [4], has raised concern about the worrying increase of global population. The report claims that the world cannot meet the rapid uncontrolled and unchecked population growth requirement. The ever-growing population has inserted pressure on the natural environment- land, forests, biodiversity, groundwater, oceans, air quality and climate through unsustainable production and consumption patterns. Nigeria's government has failed to insert population control measures. Mrs. Zaina Ahmed, Nigeria Minister for Budget and national planning, raised concern about its population growth. The minister claimed that the country has a fertility rate of 5.5 and has limited resources to cater to the population [16]. The rapid population control has affected the health sector as it requires international help to meet public health demand. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division [6] notes that rapid population growth impedes progress towards reducing poverty and hunger in many countries. Therefore, the government should conduct public awareness and encourage birth control.

Funding

The funding of the education sector is a significant problem affecting sustainable development. Increasing funds will benefit the science and technology sector to buy more resources necessary for scientific learning. The building of modern laboratories will allow students to practice their theory in the lab, which helps future innovation. The government should adhere to the UNESCO recommendation of allocating 26% of the government budget to the education sector. More funds should go to the capital investment or research center to allow students to engage in practical work. The government should offer a doctorate scholarship for student's science education. The scholarship program will enable the science department to have sufficient academician required to improve science education. 

Creative Learning: Incorporation of Academic Video Games

The impact of video games on student performance is a subject of debate. However, several studies show that video games increase students' cognitive skills, concentration and better perceptual templates. Nigerian teachers have problems with keeping students in school. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund [17] indicates that one in every five world 's-out-of-school children is in Nigeria. The report notes that despite the country offering free and compulsory primary education, 10.5 million school-going age children are not in school. Nigeria should emulate the United States that has since incorporated video games at its elementary level. The United States Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) acknowledges the impact of integrating technology. Specifically, New Jersey Curriculum Core Content Standards requires preschool children to collaborate using video games and high school-going children to create digital games. Traditional education is no longer attractive and students get bored and later drop out of school. Adachi and Willoughby's [18] study associated playing video games with enhanced visual-spatial abilities, executive control, memory and attentional control. Games such as Kahoot have improved cognitive development and interest in sciences. As a result, more than 20 and 55 million primary and secondary school United States students played the game to enhance cognitive development [19]. Furthermore, video games improve visuospatial capacity, task switching, decision making and object tracking skills in children. Therefore, teachers should use video games to enhance cognitive development and student interest in academics. High-end video games improve critical thinking, which is vital in problem-solving. 

Adopting Relevant Policies 

Nigerian has a good education plan that incorporates non-formal and formal education. The country acknowledges the impact of science and business education. However, lack of political will has affected the academic sector. Technical Vocational Education (TVE) and Science education are among the most affected because of poor planning and ineffective policies. According to Nwosu and Micah [20], TVE education is vital in achieving sustainable development. However, the sector has failed to help the government achieve SDGs. The industry's notable challenges include human resources deficiency, budgetary and subvention deficits and infrastructure inadequacy. Therefore, the government should encourage NGOs to invest in learning institutions to improve the quality of education. The government should conduct regular recruitment and in-service training. The program requires public awareness of the negative perception of TVE development and encourages women to enroll in science subjects.

Business education is vital in attaining relevant skills required to maintain sustainable development. Although business education is an integral part of Nigerian education, graduates tend to opt for employment rather than creating jobs. Therefore, the government should restructure its curricula and teach applicable skills to the students. The education should focus on readily available resources. The system should make students ready for the local industrial requirement rather than concentrating on the western business that has no impact on the Nigerian economy. Teachers should educate with updated equipment to help them remain relevant to the business world.

The discussion justifies the positive impact of science education in achieving sustainable development and the need for government to reconsider the non-formal, formal, science and entrepreneurship education in achieving sustainable development. A country's success relies on the government's ability to invest in the education department, which is not the case in Nigeria. The country's science has several challenges, including insufficient funding, lousy governance, inadequate infrastructure and outdated learning that affect graduates' ability to become productive and ensure sustainable living. Furthermore, rapid population growth strains the country's resources and this affects sustainable development. Therefore, the discussion's proposals provide a start in ensuring the country aligns with SDGs' requirements. Policy reforms will allow the government to streamline the education sector and focus on authentic learning, focusing on real-world experience rather than theories. Developing policy on population control or spearheading a birth control campaign will allow the government to reduce rapid population growth and strain natural resources. The public will have more resources to invest in meaningful education and economic development. Implementing video games will improve students' cognitive skills and interest in learning. Some games improve student interest in chemistry and this is vital in sustainable development. The state must fund the education sector, specifically science and TVE, as the two-sector deals with practical cases. Finally, the educational industry's success relies on political good. The Nigerian government must take relevant measures to invest in a competitive education system that prepares students for the current economy. Investing in science education is a start to achieving sustainable development. However, there is a need for an empirical study on specific science subjects that impact sustainable development, considering Nigeria's primary natural resource is oil. 

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