To Mark International Day Of Education, AYGF, Urges Optimum Implementation Of Nigeria’s 2022 Education Budget

The Executive Director of the of the African Youth Growth Foundation, Dr Arome Salifu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to work assiduously towards the implementation of the 2022 appropriated budget for the Ministry of Education. He made the assertion in a press release made available to newsmen on the occasion of the International Day of Education. The day is set aside and observed every year on January 24 to celebrate the role of education for peace and development. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the day as International Day of Education on January 24, 2018

Dr Salifu noted that the 2022 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly had N1.29 trillion, amounting to 7.9 per cent, allocated to education.

Though there’s is 1.7 increase from last year’s education budget there is still a shortfall from the 10 percent UNESCO benchmark for education budget, Dr Salifu further stated.

He encouraged policy makers to aim towards a repeat of the sector appropriations  registered in 2015 at 10.7 percent the highest ever.

He further analyzed that the education budget will be shared amongst  28 parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Education, in addition to 21 federal colleges of education and 104 federal unity schools and  25 federal polytechnics and 43 federal universities.

He ended by saying if the country was to reduce the number of out of school children then all stakeholders must pay serious attention to investment in the education sector. But, a more urgent matter was the safeguarding of the lives of school children from attacks as witnessed last year in Kankara, Kagara, Jangebe and Yauri. He charged the Safe Schools Initiative to be more proactive and follow protocols in safe guarding lives and educational property.