Tinubu announces 25% increase in education budget with effective policies
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced its dedication to increasing the education budget by 25 per cent through the implementation of effective policies.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this announcement during the opening of the 2021 and 2022 Nigeria Annual Education Conference (NAEC) in Abuja on September 11, 2023.
The conference, themed “Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” aims to address the gaps between education policy statements and their actual outcomes.
The Minister acknowledged that while Nigeria has numerous commendable policies in place, they have not been effectively translating into tangible benefits for the education sector.
“President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.
“We still have a long way to go. We are not matching the children in the country with the desired education and this is because our policies are not producing the values we need.
“What we need is the action on ground and not the policy declaration. This is where I can tell you we intend to come in.
“We want to bridge the gaps between policy statements and actualisation of outcomes.
“This is to give them future training that will enable them to live their lives and make them employers of labour. Everybody deserves to live a life of dignity for the well-being of their family,” he said.
He said that the responsibilities of government was to provide opportunities for Nigerians to be empowered adding that now is the time to make the policies reality.
He also said that the basic and secondary schools must be equipped by developing appropriate skills template for creativity and research.
“We know that society that had benefitted from education are known for nurturing of creativity and research which starts from the lower levels,” he said.
The need for implementation strategies to monitor and evaluate policies in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was emphasized by a minister during a recent conference.
The Minister expressed concern over the state of insecurity in schools and the nation as a whole, particularly in light of the recent killing of a nursing student.
The minister directed the Vice-Chancellor of the institution to work with security forces to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the crime. Stakeholders were urged to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Education and state ministries to find innovative approaches for improved funding and quality education.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education explained that the conference was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He called on stakeholders to discuss ways to collaborate and partner in order to achieve the 2030 education agenda.
The Education Adviser from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office pledged the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in achieving the SDGs and ensuring quality education for all children.
The adviser also urged the Nigerian government to increase funding for education and ensure it is used effectively.
The UN has previously recommended that Nigeria increase its budget allocation to the education sector in order to achieve universal basic education by 2030.
