Governors proffer solution to Nigeria’s education challenge

To tackle the menace of out-of-school children in the country, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has called on its members to allocate 15% of state budgets to education.

The Chairman of the Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq made this call during a briefing organized by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja on Wednesday.

It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, with the theme: “Scaling Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Nigeria.”

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The Kwara governor, represented by the Vice Chairman of NGF, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, said there was a need to remove all barriers to education.

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

“Governors at the various states must commit above 15 per cent 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.

“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.”

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