CSOs Reject Education Budget Cuts, Urge Buhari To Reverse Decision

By Matthew Ogune, Abuja

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reassess the unprecedented budget cuts to social services, which slashed 54 percent from Universal Basic Education, (UBE), 20 percent from Ministry of Education and 42.5 percent from the Basic Healthcare Fund (BHCF).

They made the call in a statement jointly signed by Malala Fund, Connected Development (CODE), Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI) ACE Charity, Youth Hub Africa, Hallmark Leadership Initiative, (LEDAP), Centre for Girls Education, Centre LSD, Education as a Vaccine and the Civil
Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA).

According to the group, the decision to withhold critical social spending, while reportedly approving a N9bn renovation
project to the National Assembly complex, will disproportionately affect Nigeria’s most
marginalised children – in particular, girls living in the poorest households, in rural areas especially the northern region.

Statement reads: “Schools across the country closed on 19th March, 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19,
forcing 36 million enrolled students out of school.

“They join an estimated 13.2 million primary
school-aged children who were out of school before the pandemic hit. For many girls, this temporary hiatus to their education risks becoming permanent.

“Malala Fund estimates up to 10 million girls globally will not return to their classrooms once the pandemic passes, lost to child marriage, pregnancy, gender-based violence and child labour,” said Crystal Ikanih-Musa, Malala Fund Country Representative in Nigeria.

“The government must plan now to safeguard Nigeria’s youth and protect progress made toward Agenda 2030 and SDG4.”

Nigeria’s education system suffered chronic underfunding at all levels before the pandemic.

According to the Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu during a meeting with development partners in the education sector in December 2019, “persistent budget shortfalls affect schools and the desired education outcomes.”

Civil society leaders have expressed strong concern that the most recent budget allocation fails to reflect the ambition of the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) and the National Education Sector Plan and will result in an increasingly weak​ education system.

“Whilst several factors account for Nigeria’s dismal performance in education over the years,
inadequate expenditure is no doubt paramount,” said Mallam Kabir Aliyu, the National Moderator for the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA).

Adding: “It is crucial that the government do not make cuts during this time of crisis while keeping in mind the goal of 4-6percent GDP and 20percent of national budget when things stabilize.”

The coalition urged the goverment to reinstate funding to education to enable it effectively support in expanding equitable learning for all students during lockdown through accessible means, such as TV, radio and other off-line learning materials for all levels of education.

Adding: “More effectively diverting meals provided under the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme to children at home, to relieve the economic burden of the poorest families and protect girls against negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage and child labour.

“Developing and implementing gender-responsive strategies to ensure girls and other vulnerable children have the opportunity to return to school, including targeted cash transfer programmes for poor families.

“We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, to reconsider the spending cuts and ensure that education gets a fair share of the national budget,” said Hamzat Lawal, the Initiator of the Follow The Money Movement, and Founder/CEO of Connected Development.

Adding that “an investment in
education now is an investment in the future peace and prosperity of our country.”