Nigeria’s proposed 2020 budget for education is the lowest in 14 years
It now comes with no need to mention that education in Nigeria is on a steady decline. And the newly proposed 2020 budget for education seems to pay no mind to the failing education system in the country. In fact, the proposed budget for the next fiscal year is the lowest percent of the national budget that has been earmarked for education in 14 years.
With N48bn (6.32%) allocated to education in 2020, Nigeria falls short of the minimum 20% that is recommended for education by the UN. The fund which will be spread across all government-owned educational institutions and agencies in all the 36 states of the federation and the capital territory, is way below par.
The percent of the budget for education in Nigeria was 9.75% in 2007, 7.12% in 2019, and with over 10 million children out of school at the moment, the allocated fund for 2020 barely scratches the surface in attempting to change the trajectory of education in the country.
Nigeria which was home to some of the best schools in Africa now ranks among the worst in the continent. All the country’s elite universities continue to miss out in significant global rankings.
The country continues to pay the high price of not investing in education by having a society that is filled with people who are stuck in poverty, and a high crime rate that makes it one of the most worst places to live in the world.
