Nigeria at 65: Experts decry underfunding as education crisis persists

Nigeria at 65: Experts decry underfunding as education crisis persists

At 65 years of independence, Nigeria’s education sector remains plagued by issues of underfunding, school abductions, dilapidated infrastructure, teacher shortages, insecurity, and weak policy implementation, despite recent budget increases, writes WALE AKINSELURESixty-five years after Nigeria’s independence, education experts say the sector remains trapped in a cycle of underfunding, infrastructural decay and weak policy implementation. Despite boasting of over 300 tertiary institutions, millions of students in classrooms, and a growing private school system, the foundations of public education are still weak, weighed down by chronic underfunding, dilapidated infrastructure, a shortage of teachers and repeated disruptions from strikes and insecurity.

The perennial issues facing the university system for the past decades reared their ugly head again as the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over neglect of the university system and “government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands,” after which it may embark on a total and indefinite strike. Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, various education stakeholders warned that without urgent reforms, the country’s future development in the education sector will remain stunted.At the primary and secondary levels, the situation is equally dire. Across the country, thousands of pupils learn under blown-off roofs, in dilapidated classrooms and with too few teachers.

Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal College of Education, Ofeme-Ohuhu, Rabia Adamu, warned that Nigeria faces a “teacher crisis” with a shortfall of at least 1.2 million teachers.Security threats compound the crisis. In the past decade, mass abductions of schoolchildren have scarred communities, including the Kankara abduction of 300 pupils in 2020, the Greenfield University attack in 2021, and the still unresolved case of Leah Sharibu, held captive since the Dapchi abduction of 2018.

Over six decades after independence, the woes of the education sector persist despite President Bola Tinubu’s administration allocating a record N3.52 trillion to education in the 2025 budget a 61.47 per cent increase from the previous year and about seven per cent of the national budget. However, scholars insist the figure still falls short of the UNESCO-recommended benchmark of 15–20 per cent.They also noted that the sector is far behind in adoption of technology, epitomised by the failings recorded with the use of Computer-Based Test for the last conduct of both the Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examinations and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

Experts say the gaps are glaring. A Professor of African History, Peace and Conflict Studies, Olawale Albert, said the funding gap had left the sector crippled by structural and operational deficiencies.Albert said, “Despite some recent policy reforms and budget increases, the sector remains chronically underfunded, with a significant gap between budget allocations and actual financial needs, particularly for teacher salaries and infrastructure development.”Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, echoed similar concerns, stressing that while the system had expanded rapidly in six decades, investment had lagged.Olayinka said, “We require more funding in terms of facilities, emoluments, the quality and quantity of teachers at every level of education.

The teaching-learning environment requires a lot of improvement, especially in the public school system, which accounts for the larger segment of our population.”On his part, former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, pointed to glaring gaps in technology adoption, citing failures recorded in national examinations.“He added, “The problems associated with the last JAMB, where the Computer-Based Test crashed in some centres and students had to resit exams, show how backwards our system still is. In other countries, they are already discussing the fifth technological revolution, but we are unable to handle ordinary CBT. Even in WAEC, some students had to use torchlights during examinations. That is how far behind we are.”The Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Prof. Clement Kolawole, described education as central to Nigeria’s development story but insisted that funding remained the Achilles heel.

Kolawole said, “In 65 years, education has contributed to the overall development of the country, promoted manpower development and has projected Nigeria as a global player in the world of science, technology, agriculture and sports.