Rebuilding The Collapse Structure Of The Education System: What The Masses Expect From The Budgetary Allocation, 2024 -By Sani Abdullahi

As the president of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the budget proposal to the National Assembly; praises and criticisms were all over the nation. Sectors, institutions, agencies criticized them budgetary for its own interest. So as the way everyone criticizes for its own interests, the crux of this article is to critically analyze and examine the failure of the past government in building the education system, and to display the expectations in this administration of “renewed hope”.
The former chairman of Action Group popularly known as AG(of 1951), and the opposition leader of the parliament in 1962, Chief Obafemi Awolowo stated that, “education is the backbone of a country’s development; politically and economically.” Let me adopt the words of this great man, and apply to the current Nigeria situations— when economics came into consideration, an economist got a search (an educated economist) and let him expound things on economics, same as in other fields.

As the country witnessed the immediate trial of the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he was accused of for certificate forgery in the apex court of law, Nigeria. The lawsuit ensured the flexibility and credible power of education in this country. Everyone wants an educated leader.

Before analyzing and expounding the expectations of my humble self and other students as well, I will share the words of the former minister of education, Mr Adamu Adamu, he was interrogated by the newsmen while he responded with some touching answers. He said that;

“Three weeks ago, I led the Nigerian delegation to UNESCO, and the issue came up, and UNESCO said they never, at any fora and UNDER any circumstances, ever suggested 26 per cent as the optimal level of funding for education for any nation. They said they just don’t know where this lie originated from and why. Therefore, there is no stipulation of 26 per cent for funding of education in the budget by UNESCO,” he said.

“None of the E9 (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan) or D8 countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey) other than Nigeria, allocates less than 20 per cent of its annual budget to education. Indeed even among sub-Saharan Africa countries, we are trailing far behind smaller and less endowed nations in terms of our investment in education,” Mr. Adamu said.

Mr Adamu noted that since 1999 when democratic governance returned, the annual budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria has been between four per cent and 10 per cent.

Nigeria is a developing country, as the former president of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, in his National Independent ceremony’s speech, 2019, compared Nigeria with China and assured Nigerians will do far better to China, by learning of what she (China) does.

As has been stated earlier that education develops a country; now, pay attention to the developed country and see how far they’ve gone; China, America, Russia and other developed countries were able to develop with technology, which was studied at school, not home. Education too should be counted as the elementaries of development of a country.

The President named the budget proposal as “Budget Of Renewed Hope”, I, as citizens and Nigerian student hope that education will be given a great percentage as stated during the president’s campaign.

My expectations as citizen of Nigeria and student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a federal Institution are;

1. Renovation Rehabilitation And Reconstruction: These are the words of the former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, the words weren’t just for uttering but for action. The R3 carries immense items— some Nigeria high institutions building structures have collapsed, and some have demolished, misfortune was how students now studying beneath a roof, or/and in a class without a rufter; I’ve seen that in a high institution where students study at public library.

The collapse of education in our various institutions has reached a point, where science students were to jump practical topics due to the inaccessibility of amenities to practicalize what they’ve study.
Our federal Institutions need a special budget, like as I stated that an institution was shut for not having light, having no light is what the government gives isn’t enough fulfill and pay up the indebted fee.
I will keep repeating this; education is an element of development in a country. The federal government needs to refocus on the education sector and invest a huge capital in rebuilding the long time destructive education system.

2. Well Guarded Security At Our Various Institutions: The banditry act is now a threat to the Nigeria students, and national security also. Now, more than two Institution have been reported of kidnapping there students wherein the failure of providing security for students.
In the president’s speech at presentation of 2024 budget proposal, he said;

“Defense and internal security are accorded top priority. The internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities and safeguard lives, property and investments across the country.”

Nigerian students will be expecting that and we also urge the President Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria’s to keep taking action to tackle insecurities and bring back the kidnapped students.

3. Well Paid Salaries To Nigerian Lecturers:

Everyone in this world has a teacher, and the status one attains is with the help of a teacher— as a matter of fact, teachers equip one to be great. The status of being a teacher deserves huge respect and well being living. Some lecturers have made a mind of working in another sector, and claim to be teachers, they choose that for the purpose of an unwell paid salary. If salary has been increased, lecturers will work with diligence and hard work to ensure a quality of education in our various institutions.

These are my expectations of the “renewed hope” to Nigerian students and Institutions, I urge the federal government to read and take actions on the listed needs.

Sani Abdullahi
Faculty of Law, ABU, Zaria.
09125630290
abdollehysani@gmail.com