The supervising Minister of Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, recently presented the 2013 Annual Education Report, which chronicled the various successes and failures recorded by the ministry in the passing year. AUGUSTINE OKEZIE examines the militating factors that have hindered growth in the sector
While presenting the 2013 Education’s Annual Report in Abuja, the minister said the year ended with challenges of prolonged strike action embarked upon by different staff Unions in the education sector leading to disruption of academic activities. He equally admitted that the year witnessed tremendous improvement, especially in the area of access and quality.
“it was clear that our tertiary education in the year 2013 faced diverse industrial action by academic unions and it disrupted our academic calendar. Yet the federal government is not staggered with all of the distractions we remain on our position to reposition the country’s tertiary education system in Nigeria.
“In the Year 2013 annual report, the Federal Government addressed the barriers that prevented children from vulnerable backgrounds, such as the Almajiris, the girl child and the out of school children through the Universal basic education programmes,” he noted.
The report also showed that government focused on the development of the Federal science and technical colleges as part of its effort to develop the vocational pathways for Nigerian youths and to enable them acquire practical skills and knowledge.
Other achievements made by government include the presentation of tool boxes to federal government technical colleges across the federation to support them in acquiring skills. 89 Almajiri schools were equally handed over to states, with more still under construction as part of the bid to expand access to education.
Needs Assessment
The Minister further acknowledged that the year 2013 witnessed an unprecedented investment into the university system through the provision of needed infrastructure arising from the outcome of the needs assessment carried out in the public universities.
The recent disbursement of the sum of 200bnaira to public university in tandem with the FG/ASUU agreement, according to him, was meant to upgrade critical infrastructures and to stabilize academic activities. He further alluded to NEED assessment tour of colleges of education and polytechnics as a furtherance of government’s intention to give Nigerian education and the universities’ better global ranking.
“Every state of the Federation now has federal university, this has never happened before. The Federal government has also expanded the National Open University system to 50 study centers.”
Politicisation of Education
The minister inadvertently touched a major sour point in Nigeria’s educational development, when he frowned at the attitude of some state governments, who either remain lethargic in accessing their counterpart funding, especially in basic education levels, or play the political divide with Federal government
He expressed worry over the neglected Federal government’s intervention fund provided through the universal basic education commission and the tertiary education trust fund.
“Our major challenge is the neglect of the intervention fund provided by the Federal government to support education at the basic level and also to assist capacity of higher institutions. Most states do not provide their matching grant and it remains inaccessible for about three years now.”
A situation where more than 51 billion naira is left to rot in the coffers of Universal Basic Education Commission, speaks volume of the degree of neglect that Nigeria’s Education had suffered for decades now. The argument remains, that if the idle funds were promptly deployed, education will be the better for it.
The earlier the state governments, especially those from the opposing parties, put politics aside, and key into laudable educational programmes initiated by the federal government, the better.
A situation where progressive educational development at the centre are not being reflected at the states and local government areas, due to petty politics and poor planning, will certainly undermine growth and development.
Unutilised funds by tertiary institutions
At the briefing, the minister disclosed that tertiary institutions are finding it difficult, to utilized financial windows offered by the Tertiary Education Trust fund, due to untenable reasons.
’’Heads of several tertiary institutions are failing to promptly access funds allocated to them, due to their failure to fulfill technical requirements, including lack of comprehension of the scope of the projects, and the absence of strategic and operational plans’’
It is most disturbing that whilst the various staff unions at the tertiary level, continue agitating for improved infrastructure, quality academic programmes, and condition of service, the management of these higher institutions are not helping matters by their refusal to draw from the opportunities offered by TETFund and other development partners.
The 2013 annual education report as presented by the minister, while offering unbridled optimism on its face value, did not however provide options that can lead to addressing the challenges it enumerated.
