President Bola Tinubu’s administration has allocated N3.52 trillion to the education sector, representing 7.07 per cent of the 2025 national budget. However, the appropriation is still a shortfall of UNESCO’s recommendation for developing countries and as a source of concern for stakeholders vis-a-vis myriad challenges in the education sector, OWEDE AGBAJILEKE reports.

President Bola Tinubu’s recent presentation of N49.7 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly has sparked intense discussion, particularly regarding the allocation to the education sector.

Findings showed that the N3.52 trillion education budget is N1.34 trillion higher than the N2.18 trillion allocated to the sector in the 2024 appropriation, representing an increase of 61.47 per cent.

What is, however, news is that the N3 52 trillion allocation to the education sector (representing 7.07 per cent of the total budget) falls short of UNESCO‘s recommendation that countries allocate 15 to 20 per cent of their public expenditure or four to six per cent of their (GDP) to education.

Although the N3.52 trillion education allocation is the highest for the sector in the nation’s history, experts lamented that the sum is insufficient to tackle the industry’s challenges.

Going by the international agency’s advice, a more adequate education budget for 2025 would have been between N7.45 trillion and N9.94 trillion, significantly higher than the allocated N3.52 trillion.

The Guardian learnt that the increase in the sector’s budget may directly result from President Tinubu’s commitment to prioritise education, made just weeks after assuming office in May 2023.

While hosting the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the State House, Abuja, in June 2023, Tinubu emphasised the transformative power of education in combating poverty.

“If we all believe that education is the greatest weapon against poverty, then we have to invest in it. Poverty should not prevent anybody, including the daughter or son of a wood seller, plantain or yam seller, from attaining her highest standard of education to eliminate poverty. If you eliminate poverty from one family, you can carry the rest of the weight,” he stated.

However, the education budget has generated a mixed bag of reactions. While some stakeholders said Tinubu’s promise to allocate more resources to the sector is bearing fruit, as reflected in the increased budgetary allocation, others maintained that it is just a drop in the ocean, as its purchasing power has diminished.

They cited skyrocketing inflation and free-fall of the naira to buttress their argument. According to them, the combination of high inflation and a weak currency will erode the value of the education budget, making it challenging for the government to achieve its education goal.

Investigations also revealed that Nigeria has historically underfunded its education sector. Available data showed that the highest allocation was 11.12 per cent in 1999, followed by 9.26 per cent in 2015. From 2002 to 2003, the allocation dropped significantly to 5.90 per cent and 1.20 per cent, respectively. It also showed that the average education allocation over the years was about 5.94 per cent.

A peep into 2010, 2011 and 2012 budgetary provisions for education showed that 6.17 per cent, 7.88 per cent and 8.55 per cent went to the sector, respectively, while 2013, 2014, and 2015 had 8.68 per cent, 9.04 per cent and 9.26 per cent budgetary allocations to the sector.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018, education received 7.9 per cent, 6.1 per cent and 7.1 per cent of the respective years’ budgets. This rose to 8.4 per cent in 2019 and plummeted to 6.5 per cent, 5.7 per cent and 5.4 per cent in 2020, 2021 and 2022 before soaring to 7.26 per cent in 2023 and 7.9 per cent in 2024.
The figures are in sharp contrast to what is obtained in other parts of Africa. In 2022, for instance, while South Africa’s education spending was 19.75 per cent – a 1.33 per cent increase from 2021 – Namibia expended 24.71 per cent and 27.3 per cent in the sector for 2022 and 2023, respectively, even as Algeria has recorded double digits for nine consecutive years (2013 to 2022).

With over 18.3 million out-of-school children and 18 per cent of students in Nigerian tertiary institutions dropping out for financial reasons, experts have tasked the Federal Government to increase its spending for the sector to at least 20 per cent with clear deliverables.

Some stakeholders have expressed concern that the 2025 education budget may not be enough to address the declining academic standards and infrastructure issues plaguing the sector, which is the largest in Africa.

The country’s education sector faces numerous challenges, including out-of-school children menace, inadequate infrastructure, shortage of teachers and lack of training, insecurity, limited access for marginalised groups, and lack of technology integration.

The World Bank underscores the importance of investing in education, citing its potential to drive long-term economic growth, reduce poverty, and promote social cohesion. However, the Bank also noted that the average share of education in government budgets fell during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained below 2019 levels.

In the same vein, the United Nations warned that unless Nigeria acts fast on the issues, the country might not achieve the global agenda for universal, inclusive and equitable basic education for all school-age children by 2030 – Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.

Both education stakeholders and experts have warned that not meeting UNESCO’s recommendation could have far-reaching consequences for the nation, with a key implication being that it could affect teaching and learning outcomes.

They noted that insufficient funding could lead to inadequate resources, such as textbooks, computer sets, and laboratories, essential for effective learning.

In addition, they noted that inadequate funding could lead to overcrowded classrooms, which can negatively affect the quality of instruction.
According to them, this limits access to education, as it may result in higher fees and tuition costs, thus pushing education out of the reach of many.
Speaking on the development, the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has expressed disappointment that the present administration has not demonstrated a genuine commitment to transforming the country’s education sector.

National Mobilisation Officer of the group, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, advocated adequate funding, infrastructural development, and democratisation of decision-making processes in academic institutions.

Lenin lamented that the present administration has not shown any willingness to revamp the education sector, which has suffered years of neglect by successive governments.

“One would expect the government to channel due attention to public education to overcome the years of challenges in the sector. The 7.07 per cent allocated to public education is unsurprising, as the government only acted according to its nature. This is the nature of gross underfunding of public education; this is what is responsible for the decaying state that public education is in presently, despite the outrageous fees students are subjected to pay.

“In ERC, we believe that public education must be adequately funded to ensure infrastructural development and enabling environment for effective teaching and learning. “ He lamented that the undemocratic management of the education sector has resulted in a reign of corrupt practices by administrators of institutions, such that the little funds allocated to the sector allegedly end in individual pockets,

For this to be addressed, Lenin said the institutions’ decision-making organs must be democratised to ensure the active participation of students, parents and education workers in the running of institutions.

The President General of Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA), Michael Magaji, said the sector’s allocation is impressive, among the top three in the national budget.

Magaji, however, tasked the Federal Government to focus on basic and secondary education, emphasising digital skills and vocational training.
On his part, the Initiator of the Creative Change Centre, Omole Ibukun, described the sector’s allocation as insufficient. Ibukun expressed worry that Nigeria’s lack of investment in teachers, infrastructure, and resources hinders the sector’s progress.

“I think N3.52 trillion education budget, which accounts for 7.07 per cent of the national budget, is insufficient. UNESCO recommends allocating 15 to 20 per cent of the national budget to education, and Nigeria is still far from meeting this target. With the high level of unemployment, under-employment and unemployment in Nigeria today, the Federal Government should be trying to surpass this target.

“This budget allocation also showed the priorities of a government that allocated N4.91 trillion to defence and security, yet places less financial priority on the causes of insecurity, which is poor literacy and quality of education, leading to low productivity and employability of our vast population,” he said.

The National President of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Dr Niyi Sunmonu, lamented that successive governments have paid lip service to education.

The 2025 education budget, he stressed, is a flash in the pan considering the myriads of challenges confronting the sector.
“To us, it shows little concern for out-of-school children, no progressively careful and deliberate effort at solving the huge gap of infrastructural deficit in our tertiary institutions, and little attention to the welfare of educational facilitators at all levels, among others.

From available information on the proposed draft bill, Sunmonu noted that recurrent expenditure takes about 33 per cent, adding “this speaks to the welfare of educational facilitators across the board.”

While admitting that other areas of the economy need adequate attention, Sunmonu reminded that no nation can develop above its quality of education.
“It is on this strength that the union is suggesting to the government to ensure strict compliance to the budget whenever it is passed (and we hope this is done on time), and that going forward, the FG should ensure that its budget proposal meets up with the UNESCO’s benchmark, at the very least.

“CONUA would like to enjoin the Federal Government to devote a greater part of the N3.52 trillion to the welfare of facilitators (across the board) and learning aids, including teaching and research laboratory equipment,” he said.

A public analyst, Monday Edwards, described the education budget as ‘grossly inadequate.’
While describing the amount as a drop in the ocean, Edwards submitted that proper funding would ensure that the sector is properly equipped with the necessary infrastructure needed for effective learning and that teachers are adequately remunerated to enable them to discharge their duties more effectively.

He lamented that the country’s most critical sector has been facing monumental neglect by successive administrations.
“It has been the tradition of this country. We have followed them for a while now and discovered that adequate attention is not given to education. We are talking about 26 per cent and they are giving 7.8 per cent. To us, that amounts to nothing. We have spoken, cried, and talked to people that no nation or society develops without prioritising education. How do you expect education to blossom or meet its established purpose with such a meagre allocation?

“The 7.8 per cent cannot amount to anything reasonable that will improve or lift the sector. Government should realise that the solution to our problem lies with quality education,” Edwards added.