From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof Suleiman Bogoro, has said the crisis being witnessed in Nigeria’s education sector cuts across all levels.
Prof Bogoro called for the support of stakeholders in the sector to revamp the system.
Speaking at the virtual thematic meeting of the TETFund Research and Development Standing Committee (RDSC) on Education, Prof Bogoro commended the Federal Government for its promise to progressively increase the education budget to fund research and drive global competitiveness in the country.
He further lauded the government for recent steps to professionalise teaching and the announcement of special allowances for teachers, among other incentives.
Prof Bogoro noted that the government’s recent pronouncement is an acknowledgement of basic education as the foundation.
‘Government announced its intention from the budget year of 2022 to raise education budget by 50 per cent and scale it up and gradually double it to 100 per cent by the year 2025.
‘To me, that was something that was not immediately expected or anticipated but the government has made the pronouncement. So, I imagine that the 2022 budget will reflect that 50 per cent increase,’ he said.
The TETFund boss said he looks forward to a situation where some of the areas that have suffered from inadequate funding from the appropriation window will be taken care of, with the added increase, including the funds that will be made available to institutions.
He disclosed that the draft law for the establishment of the National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF) has been submitted to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, for inputs before transmission to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval and onward submission to the National Assembly.
In his presentation, former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Abiodun Ogunyemi, stressed that education remains the bedrock for every knowledge-based economy and sustainable national development.
Ogunyemi, who was the lead presenter, insisted that an integrated policy framework was needed to bind all sectors together for sustainable development to occur.