The traditional, islam and christian philosophies of education and Nigerian thinkers that contributed greatly on education in Nigeria.

Traditional education was practised before the white man came to Africa.
Africans believe in a supreme God and in many other gods. As a people, we also believe in spirits, ancestral worship and spiritual forces. We believe that the living human being is a link between the living and the dead. To us, knowledge and wisdom increases with age.

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Learning is brought about by the use of a variety of skills, speech, meditation and physical agility. The greatest value in African tradition is human life. Other values include the extended family, community life and the friendliness. One advantage of traditional education is that, it involves everybody in the community. Everybody is either a teacher or a learner.

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Now the three Nigerian educational thinkers that their ideas has brought great development to education
They are: Aminu Kano, Bennet Ukeje and Jones Akinpelu.

Aminu Kano believes in popular education for social improvement and progress. He believes that education should make people think about life and be able to develop new ideas. He believes in equality of women with men and he disapproves of both polygamy and easy divorce. He believes in better life for the Talakawa i.e. poor masses. While Bennet Ukeje believes in national education. He also believes that our education should be built on our culture. He believes that education should be for national reconstruction, social development, national unity and political stability.
Jones Akinpelu believes that moral and adult education are important in our national educational programme. He believes that moral education is important for complete education of the learner and that adults education is important for all responsible adults who want to improve themselves and improve their community therefore,adult education is a way of promoting civilization and the spirit of democracy.

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Islamic religion is about ten centuries old in Nigeria. Islam believe in one God, his prophet Mohammed, the Qur'an, the angels, the resurrection of the dead and judgment at the last day. Muslim also believe that man is born without sin but can grow up to become a saint or a devil. Education is necessary to make him a saint. The will of God is the highest knowledge in islam. This calls for obedience to the will of God. God made his will known to the holy prophet through revelation. The shariah and the five pillars of Islam contain the greatest values of the Islamic religion. The greatest value of all is the will of God. In Islamic ethics, all human beings are equal.

One advantage of of Islamic education is that, it has lessons which are useful to learners throughout life. In addition, the learner moves ahead at his own rate and the teacher is evaluated and rewarded according to his performance.

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The Christian religion came into Nigeria around the 16th century and christian education started at that time. The trans - Atlantic slaves trade stopped these activities for about three hundred years and by 1842, the Christian missionaries began to arrive. The slave trade was then over, but the Europeans came to dominate Africa politically. Christian education came with secular education. Christian believe in the Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They believe in saints, Angels, the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment they believe that man is made in the image of God's creation on earth and share eternal life with God after death.

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But every man is a sinner through Adam so we all need Jesus Christ, the saviour.
Knowledge of God is through revelation, dreams and trances. The greatest knowledge is spiritual knowledge of God. Christian education is meant to help the learner know the material world so that he can care for it better. It is also to know God spiritually in order that believers can do his will and thereby save their souls.

One advantage of Christian education is that it has laid the foundation of modern practice of secular education in Nigeria.

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Now the three Nigerian educational thinkers that their ideas has brought great development to education sector today.
They are: Aminu Kano, Bennet Ukeje and Jones Akinpelu.

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Aminu Kano believes in popular education for social improvement and progress. He believes that education should make people think about life and be able to develop new ideas. He believes in equality of women with men and he disapproves of both polygamy and easy divorce. He believes in better life for the Talakawa i.e. poor masses. While Bennet Ukeje believes in national education. He also believes that our education should be built on our culture. He believes that education should be for national reconstruction, social development, national unity and political stability.
Jones Akinpelu believes that moral and adult education are important in our national educational programme. He believes that moral education is important for complete education of the learner and that adults education is important for all responsible adults who want to improve themselves and improve their community therefore,adult education is a way of promoting civilization and the spirit of democracy.