2017 Budget: A Continuous Pauperisation Of Nigerian Education System -By Bamidele Williams

Bamidele Williams

The immortal words of Kofi Annan, a Man of Peace in a World of War, described Knowledge as power. Information as liberating. And Education as the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.

Our government no longer need a lecture on the importance of education. They already know it. And that is the reason they all send their children to best schools abroad while the ones at home are reduced to pauperism and a state of destitution.

However, the resultant effect is inevitable in accordance with the opposite law. The law of actions and reactions.

What we have are youths that specialises in building walls rather than bridges, Weapons in places of books, Corruption in place of morality and to crown it all, Ignorance in place of intellectualism and wisdom.

In 2017 budget recently passed by the national assembly, N455.41 billion is set aside for Education. Representing about 7% of the total budget against the UNESCO 25% standard. The least in Africa.

It should also be of interest to you to know that the Federal Government of Nigeria budget for 50 Federal universities and UBE (Universal Basic Education) is N495, 456, 130, 065. Representing 40% of only California State University.

However, of this amount, only about N50 billion is earmarked for capital expenditure while the rest will be gulped by recurrent expenditure. I don’t need to tell you there is problem.

This only confirms that education in Nigeria will still continue as has been the case in the past as to paucity of funds. With the Nigerian students continuing to suffocate for basic needs in congestion.

This has not always been the case in Nigeria. The first university, a public university was established in 1948 with an high standard and comparing favourably with the standards in Europe and America. However, the problem came when the universities could not increase in facilities and standard with the exponential population increase of 45million at independence to the present over 182million. This year JAMB students population of 1,736,571 again reveals it. Leaving majority of the existing universities, especially the relatively cheap public ones to absorb the huge number of students graduating from secondary school.

The inept, incompetent and the dishonest use of the little given out by the government by the various university management is another bane. A cause of misery that was recently established in the suspension of the duo’s of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) Vice-Chancellors. A problem that could again be traced and attributed to the lackadaisical attitude displayed by various governmental bodies and commissions ascribed with the function of checks and accountability.

However, with the established unenthusiastic, listless and languid reactions shown to the education system by the government overtime, the universities in the country as a matter of urgency must reduce and evolve from their dependency on government funding that has been driving the nation’s education system backward. They must enlist the interest of the rich and selfless Nigerians by sourcing funds from donations, endowments, professional chairs, gifts, grants, among others as we have it in flourishing universities abroad.

To achieve this however, there must be a change in the attitude of Nigerians towards giving for educational purposes.

GOD BLESS.

Bamidele Williams, a Journalist, writes from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.