Plan International Nigeria canvasses reforms on basic education in Nigeria
Plan International Nigeria canvasses reforms on basic education in Nigeria
The Country Director, Plan International Nigeria, Dr. Charles Usie, canvasses for urgent intervention reforms from both the Federal and State Governments to improve basic education in Nigeria
Usie made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, to commemorate the Global Action Week on Education.
According to him, inadequate funding, poor state compliance with counterpart funding obligations, insecurity, poverty, harmful socio-cultural practices and infrastructure deficits have worsened the education crisis in the country.
He said that in spite of the enactment of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act in 2004, significant implementation gaps had continued to undermine access to quality education across the country.
Usie noted that Nigeria still hosted the highest number of out-of-school children globally, estimated at between 18 and 20 million, with girls accounting for about 60 per cent of the figure.
“The promise of free and compulsory education under the UBE Act has remained largely unrealised due to weak implementation and poor funding commitments,” he said.
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Usie decried the current two per cent allocation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to UBEC, describing it as insufficient to meet the growing education demands.
He advocated for an increase in the allocation to five per cent to strengthen the implementation of universal basic education nationwide.
The country director also urged the federal government to review the counterpart funding framework to allow more states to access the UBEC matching grants.
Going by the 2024 UBEC report, he said that 27 states failed to comply with the counterpart funding requirement.
Usie further called for constitutional amendments to make education an enforceable fundamental right by moving Section 18 of the constitution from Chapter 2 to Chapter 4.
He also canvassed the inclusion of senior secondary and vocational education within the scope of compulsory basic education.
On girls’ education, Usie called for establishment of menstrual hygiene stations in schools to improve the attendance, retention and dignity of girls.
He said that the initiative would help address barriers contributing to school dropouts among female students.
Also speaking, a stakeholder, Dr Helen Idion, said that stronger political commitment and sustained investment were necessary to reverse the growing education crisis.
Another stakeholder, Jeniffer James, also stressed the need for inclusive and gender-responsive education policies to protect the rights of girls.
They both urged the National Assembly, the federal government, state governments, civil society organisations and development partners to prioritise reforms capable of restoring confidence in public education.
