Governors Forum advocates 15% budget allocation to education, urges state of emergency

The Nigerian Governors Forum urged its members to allocate 15% of their state budgets to the education sector.

This announcement was made by the Chairman of the Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, at a briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday, organized jointly by the Federal Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The event centered around the theme, “Scaling Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Nigeria.”

Represented by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Kwara governor stressed the necessity of eliminating all obstacles hindering education.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to UNESCO standards for a progressive and sustainable education system.

“We must follow the UNESCO standard for an education system that is progressive and sustainable.

“Governors at the various states must commit above 15 percent of our budget to education.

“I support the call for a state of emergency but it must be backed by actions.

“The resources must be provided and we must look at issues that have mitigated against achieving that sustainable growth.

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“It is one thing to declare a state of emergency but it’s another thing to put all the resources and elements that will allow us to achieve it.

“So I support putting the resources in place to allow us to move fast at it.

“Our education is in crisis and a state of emergency should be declared in all sectors.

“We need a solid roadmap and I believe it is a collective involvement.”

The urgency of the situation was highlighted by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, who stressed the need for an immediate solution to the learning crisis.

“Education is the cornerstone of societal progress and individual empowerment, yet the challenges we currently confront demand our immediate attention, dedication, and action,” he emphasized.