Nigerian govt to commit 25% of annual budget to education —Minister

Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, says the Federal Government is ready to commit 25 per cent of the nation’s annual budget to education in a bid to improve its quality and checkmate the menace of out of school children.

Mamman who made the promise on Saturday in Abuja at the launch of a €4Om intervention programme on education and youth empowerment in north-western Nigeria through the Global Gateway initiative by the European Union, warned that any attempt to downplay education would cost the country a fortune in terms of welfare and security.

The Minister called on state governors to focus on prioritising education and youth empowerment, adding that the education sector roadmap of the President Bola Tinubu administration would soon be released and will cover the same objectives of the European Union in revamping the sector.

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“Our government is ready to commit 25% of the budget to education, all the President needs, according to him, are policies that will justify that budget and that is what we are working on,” Mamman said.

He further explained that going forward, the focus of the government would be on out-of-school children and girls who will be trained and empowered.

“Our focus is shifting to basic education, out-of-school children, adolescent girls who need to be trained and empowered.

“If our youths are not properly catered for, trained and empowered, we are toying with the future of the country. Not catering for them will allow poverty to grow, insecurity to foster,” the Minister added.

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