This article reports on the findings from a EU funded programming study of the education sector in Nigeria. Following a brief overview of the education sector, the article comments on the management of the sector and outlines some of the challenges for educational development. Blockages in the system are identified and areas for reform are explored. It is argued that if current blockages are to be unblocked, an holistic approach to reform will need to be adopted with a focus on legislative, structural, funding, managerial, academic and staff development issues. It is argued, however, that reforms within the education sector will be insufficient to convert vision into reality unless they are supported by a willingness to address wider economic and societal issues.