Inadequate budgetary allocation to education a serious challenge ― Minister

The Federal Government has admitted that the annual budgetary allocations to the education sector at both Federal and State levels are grossly inadequate to address the enormous challenges in the sector.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said this, on Tuesday, in Abuja at the interactive meeting of Ministers with national and international development partners in the education sector on the need to synergise on financing of the education sector in the country.

The harmonised Federal and States’ Education Sector Short & Medium Term Targets/ Blue Print and Work Plan on the implementation of Education for Change: A Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP), was presented to the stakeholders at the event for them to key into various aspects of the implementation framework.

The strategic plan indicated that the government required the sum of N10 billion to mop up the over 10.2 million out-of-school children from the streets in five years from 2020.

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According to the details contained in the document obtained by Tribune Online by the end of 2020, about N3 billion would have been committed by 19 states, outside the intervention of the Federal government, in ensuring the enrollment of over 2 million school-age children that are not in school.

Further breakdown indicated that states were also expected to commit N2.4 billion in 2021, N2 billion in 2022, N1.5 billion in 2023 and N1.1 billion in 2024 respectively towards addressing the menace of out-of-school children syndrome.

Adamu who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Honourable Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, called on the development partners to harmonise their interventions for a greater impact on the development of the education sector in Nigeria.

He appreciated the contributions of the development partners and donor agencies, stressing however that there was the need for all stakeholders to key into the Federal Government strategic plan for the education sector.

Adamu said: “Budgetary allocation at Federal and States levels to education has been inadequate and poses a serious challenge in the running of our education system.

“This has affected the efficient and effective delivery of the core mandate of the sector.

“The desired access, quality and systems strengthening in our Ministerial Strategic Plan, which are reflected in the national education sector plan, can only be attained through strong partnerships, collaborations and synergy between all sectors in the society- public and private.

“Education is our collective responsibility and its failure can well be taken as failure of the entire country,” he said.

The Minister noted that in view of the current high level of poverty and unemployment, it was imperative to provide citizens with key skills that would enable them not only to gain employment in the relevant sectors of the economy, but to be job creators.