State governors have agreed to allocate 15 percent of their annual budgets to fund the education sector.
The United Nations advises its member states to allocate four to six percent of GDP or 15 to 20 percent of public expenditure to fund education.
However, many countries, including Nigeria, have not yet reached this target.
The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) held its first international conference on girl child education on October 10 and 11, 2024.
During the event, 36 state governments pledged to dedicate at least 15 percent of their budgets to the education sector.
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kwara state governor and NGF chairman, addressed the conference in Abuja.
Represented by Abdulateef Shittu, NGF director-general, AbdulRazaq emphasized the need for increased school investment and eliminating barriers to girl child education.
“Our commitment as a forum to education financing, especially girl child education funding is unwavering across the states,” he said.
“We declare our readiness to meet the international benchmark of at least 15% annual budgetary allocation to the education sector.”
The NGF’s conference concluded with the launch of the Girl Child Education Volunteers’ Advocates (GICEVA) initiative. AbdulRazaq confirmed that more than 774,000 volunteers across local governments will be mobilized to promote girl child education.
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According to the UN, one in three Nigerian children is out of school, with 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level.
The lack of domestic finance has also led to a shortage of 378,000 classrooms and 278,000 teachers.
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the minister of women affairs, attended the conference. She announced that the federal government would begin efforts to take out-of-school children off the streets starting October 15.
“Picking those children from the street will allow us to have access to their parents, especially their mothers,” she said. “We have a comprehensive plan to empower these women so they can adequately care for their children.
This approach aims not only to bring children back into education but also to enhance the economic stability of their families.”
