Today, education plays a significant role in training and preparing the future generation for a greener society. A quality education system will produce national development, solve humanity's problems, and generate quality human resources that can compete in the global space. Education is the main foundation in the formation of human resources. However, the quality of higher education in Nigeria is still far from expectations compared to more developing countries. This article also focuses on the various challenges faced by Nigerian public universities, which range from a lack of sound strategic plans, impoverished leadership, ineffectual teaching and learning, worthless infrastructural development, inadequate funding, academic corruption, and fraud. No country can embrace national development without giving university education a priority. Educated leaders attract absolute democracy and good governance. Uneducated leaders attract hardships, absolutism, and despotism, affecting national growth and development. A country that neglects university education hardly achieves success and national development. This article presents problems (pestilence) faced in higher education in Nigeria and also proffers solutions for improving the education system in Nigeria. Education is a product of civilization, innovation, creativity, discoveries, and mental development that brighten every country. The effectiveness of national peace, ethics, and development, the rule of law, equity, equality, and justice emerge when a country is civilized via well-grounded education.