The outgoing Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on Tuesday said the federal government in nearly four years has spent about N2 trillion on the education sector.
He said despite the economic down turn, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had done well in terms of investment in capital expenditure.
Adamu spoke at a valedictory press briefing to herald his exit from the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.
While reeling off the achievements of the government in the education sector in the last four years, Adamu revealed: “The UBEC interventions in States have recorded N350 billion, while TETFund and NEEDS Assessment interventions have recorded N857 bn with the main ministry and other agencies recording N86bn, totalling N1.338 trillion in the last four years.
“This is aside from the N25bn just approved for public universities.”
He explained that the foregoing figures had nothing to do with personnel and overhead cost in the education sector, which Adamu noted are in “trillions of naira”.
The minister further disclosed that Nigeria’s investment in education had surpassed the 26% of national annual budget recommendation of the UNESCO.
“Our aggregate expenditure in the education sector (public and private) therefore exceeds the much touted 26% of our nation national budget. We are poised to do more,” Adamu pledged.
Speaking on the twin issues of out-of-school children and adult illiteracy, the minister expressed hope that a solid foundation had been laid by the current dispensation for dealing with the challenges posed by the phenomenon.
“If we continue on this path, in the next ten years, Nigeria’s challenges in this twin direction will be confined to the dustbin of history.”
The event was chaired by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, which had the Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah.
