Criticisms trail FG's 7% allocation for education

Nigerians have been criticising the 7% allocated for education in the 2018 Budget.

Contrary to the 26 percent recommended by United Nations in the national budget for the education sector, the Federal Government of Nigeria reduced the percentage to seven percent in its 2018 Budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 7.

Following the Budget presentation, the Academic Staff Union ASUU and its Polytechnic counterpart, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP have strongly rejected the budget allocation.

The total sum allocated to education is N N605.8 billion out of which N61.73 billion is for capital expenditure, 435.1 billion for recurrent expenditure and N109.06 billion for the Universal Basic Education Commission.

ASUP has, however, said the budget is grossly inadequate as the union is currently being owed N20.8 billion arrears.

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Moreover, the Academic Staff Union have also expressed disappointment about the allocation saying lecturers are being paid half salary since 2015.

Another group that has criticised the budget allocation is the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC.

The group president, Prof Ishaq Akintola in a statement said the government is yet to realize the monstrous challenges of education in the country.

The statement reads in part:

“The security implications are serious and this is what the nation faces year after year. It simply means Nigeria needs more universities, more polytechnics and more colleges of education. Can this tight-fisted allocation take care of the problem?”, it read

“The May/June WAEC examination results have been revealing mass failure in core subjects like English and mathematics for some years now. Only 38.81% passed in 2012, 36.57% passed in 2013, 31.28% of the candidates passed in 2014 while 39% made it in 2015. Although more than 50% passed in 2016, this should be treated as an isolated case.''

ASUU and ASUP have been at loggerhead with the Federal government over non-implementation of agreements.

The situation is degenerating to a point academic activities will be grounded all nationwide in both Universities and Polytechnics as the ASUP has started their industrial action while ASUU is warming up to join them.