Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have raised the alarm that despite being a fundamental driver of development, the education sector remains grossly underfunded.
The CSOs expressed concern that Nigeria’s budgetary allocation to education is significantly below the UNESCO-recommended benchmark of 15-20% of national budgets.
They criticized the low prioritization of education in fiscal policies, pointing out that this chronic underfunding has led to infrastructural decay, a shortage of educational materials, and inadequate teacher training and recruitment.
The CSOs are Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), in collaboration with BudgIT Foundation, Connected Development, Dataphyte, Agora Policy, Accountability Lab Nigeria noted this in a joint communique at the just concluded Nigeria Accountability Summit 2024.
Other CSOs are the Public and Private Development Centre, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Step Up Nigeria, Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development, United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (Nigeria), Agora Policy, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research, and the INTOSAI Development Initiative.
They criticized the low prioritization of education in fiscal policies, pointing out that this chronic underfunding has led to infrastructural decay, a shortage of educational materials, and inadequate teacher training and recruitment.
They said access remains a challenge, particularly for girls and vulnerable groups in marginalized and rural communities. Societal norms, early marriages, security challenges, and cultural barriers were identified as major impediments to inclusive education.
On Migration of Health Workers (Japa Syndrome), they said the mass exodus of healthcare professionals, driven by poor working conditions, inadequate pay, and lack of basic infrastructure, has created a critical shortage of medical personnel.
They urged the government must provide holistic incentives, including improved work environments, housing, and access to necessary medical equipment to retain health professionals.
On Food insufficiency, they said the food insufficiency issue is primarily driven by a lack of access, affordability, and availability, with climate change and infrastructural challenges exacerbating the problem.
They urged the Federal Government to implement routine audits, transparent reporting, and public scrutiny to ensure funds in the health and education sectors are efficiently used. Every naira spent should directly translate into improved service delivery.
The CSOs urged the need for advanced technologies to enhance data dissemination processes, as well as increased awareness of the existing guidelines for managing emission-related databases.
“There is a need to digitize emission monitoring in Nigeria by investing in research and advanced technologies, alongside the development of effective regulations within the oil and gas sector.
” This approach will enhance the accuracy and efficiency of tracking and managing emissions, contributing to better environmental oversight and sustainability,” they said .