The Federal Government, under the leadership of Bola Tinubu, has expressed deep concern over the lackluster performance of the education sector, despite a substantial investment of N6.5 Trillion over the past seven years.
The administration has identified several pressing issues within the basic education sub-sector, including students forced to sit on bare floors, a high dropout rate, a rising number of out-of-school children, crumbling infrastructure, dilapidated classrooms, insufficient learning facilities, unqualified educators, inadequate monitoring, inequitable access, and subpar learning outcomes.
Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, conveyed his disappointment during a meeting held in Abuja at the 25th quarterly gathering of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Management with executive chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB).
Recent findings by news agency revealed that the Federal Government had allocated a staggering N6.47 Trillion to the education sector during the past seven years. The allocation varied over time, with percentages of the national budget allocated to education ranging from 5.4 percent to 8.4 percent between 2016 and 2023.
Expressing his dismay, Dr. Sununu stated that it is truly disheartening that, despite the substantial investments, interventions, and technical support from the Federal Government, the basic education sub-sector continues to grapple with these pressing challenges. He also said that they cannot afford to stand idly by and witness the deterioration of Nigeria’s educational system. It is imperative that proactive measures are taken to remove Nigeria from the list of ‘Learning Poverty’ countries.
To combat this unsettling trend, Minister Sununu urged the chairman of SUBEB to assess the state of basic education in their respective states and commit to justifying the substantial federal investment in the different regions.
Additionally, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, called for innovative approaches to address the challenges plaguing the basic education sub-sector. He also disclosed that the commission had successfully conducted the 2022 National Personnel Audit fieldwork and assessed learning achievements.
