Reps demand 26% hike in education funding by 2022

The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved that subject to the availability of funds, the federal education budget should increase from seven per cent to 26 per cent by 2022.

This resolution the House said is in line with the recommendation by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) for developing countries.

Furthermore, the House resolved to hold a one week education summit in January 2019 to enable stakeholders brainstorm on how to reposition the country’s education sector.

These resolutions were sequel to the adoption of the motion sponsored by Rep. Ayodele Oladimeji (PDP/Ekiti) on the need to reform Nigeria’s tertiary educational system.

Leading the debate, Rep. Oladimeji stated that the strategic importance of education to any nation cannot be over emphasized being the fulcrum of national growth and development.

According to him, tertiary education is the platform for developing human capital for social, economic and technological transformation and advancement of any nation.

He added that the right to education is a fundamental human right and a tool of attaining not only academic excellence, but also social justice and progress through which citizens achieve not only personal growth, but also develop their civic and political consciousness.

The lawmaker expressed worry that Nigeria loses trillions of naira to education tourism annually because about 75, 000 Nigerians are currently studying in Ghana, Benin Republic and Egypt among others.

Rep. Oladimeji said the dwindling quality of education in Nigeria is making her graduates unemployable, asserting that “no fewer than 1.8 million graduates in the country move into the labour market every year with the hope of getting jobs that are not available”.

He said further that numerous problems beset the nation’s educational system, leading to poor quality and exodus of youth from pursuit of tertiary education because of inadequate funding and decaying infrastructure, epileptic power supply and examination malpractices.

Lawmakers in their debate agreed that Nigeria’s educational sector requires urgent reform, maintaining that failure to proffer solutions to the problems will ensure that the sector spirals downwards while Nigerians will continue to spend their hard earned foreign exchange in financing education tourism.

House Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila while reiterating that poor infrastructure affects students learning, said “it is time we consider education as a privilege and not a right.

“When looking at quality education, we have to talk about the quality of teachers”.

Similarly, Reo Albert Adeogun said that “school buildings don’t make schools, but students and teachers do.

“We must address the issue of pricing education in Nigeria. Also, parents and governments must participate in the education of their children”.

The motion after being adopted was subsequently, referred to an 11-man ad hoc committee by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

The ad hoc committee is expected to liaise with critical stakeholders in the education sector to proffer solutions to the dwindling standard of education in the country.