In a significant move to boost education in Nigeria, the country’s 36 state governors have committed to allocating 15 per cent of their annual budgets to the education sector. This decision was made during the first international conference on girl child education, organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on October 10 and 11, 2024, in Abuja.
The United Nations recommends that countries devote between 15 to 20 per cent of their public expenditure to education. However, Nigeria, like many other nations, has yet to meet this goal. The NGF, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, acknowledged this shortfall and took a bold step toward addressing it.
Represented at the event by Abdulateef Shittu, the NGF director-general, AbdulRazaq emphasized the need for greater investment in education, especially for girls, stating, “Our commitment as a forum to education financing, especially girl child education funding, is unwavering across the states.”
He added that the governors are ready to meet the international benchmark of at least 15% annual budgetary allocation to the education sector, a key step in addressing the barriers to girl child education.
One of the outcomes of the conference was the launch of the Girl Child Education Volunteers’ Advocates (GICEVA), an initiative aimed at promoting girl child education across the country. The program will mobilize over 774,000 volunteers across Nigeria’s local governments to advocate for the cause.
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Nigeria’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, also attended the event and spoke about the federal government’s plans to tackle the issue of out-of-school children. She announced that starting October 15, efforts will be made to bring children off the streets and back into classrooms, stating that this initiative will help reconnect with their families, particularly their mothers. “We have a comprehensive plan to empower these women so they can adequately care for their children,” she explained.
With over 18 million Nigerian children currently out of school, including 10.2 million at the primary school level, this combined effort from both state and federal governments marks a critical step toward improving access to education across the country.
