The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, warned on Thursday that Nigeria may not achieve the global agenda for inclusive and equitable basic education for all schoolchildren by 2030 due to low funding for the education sector. education.
Schmale, who sounded the warning during the launch of the reports of the independent country-led evaluation of SDGs-3 and 4 in Nigeria, said the 7% increase in the 2022 budget allocation for the education was not sufficient to achieve quality educational standards in the country. country.
The UN has asked each country to allocate 26% of its annual national budget to education.
The federal government’s paltry allocation to education has been identified as one of the major causes of lower education standards in Nigeria.
A recent report pegged Nigeria’s average budget allocation to education between 2015 and 2022 at 5.39%.
The UN official said: “With regard to SDG-4 on quality education, it is, for example, concerning to note that Nigeria is unlikely to achieve the global agenda for universal, inclusive and equitable basic education for all school-aged children by 2030 if the current very low public investment in the education sector remains the same.
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“The assessment indicates that the right policies (especially regarding free basic education and gender) are in place, but an increase in the quality and access to education is essential.
“In the 2022 budget there was an increase to 7% for education, but the assessment says it will have to increase to 20% with clear delivery responsibilities.
“Similarly, government resources for health financing are insufficient to meet the SDG-3 targets related to good health and well-being.
“It is good to see that the recommendation to revitalize primary health care has already begun and that its effectiveness will be enhanced by a clear plan and accountability for human resources and funding at the state level.”
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