The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) expressed deep concern about the neglect of the education sector in Nigeria, noting that the country has the lowest education budget allocation in the West African sub-region.
During a one-day workshop organized by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, called for an increase in the education tax to 10 percent, which would raise TETFund funding from the current N600 billion annually to N3 trillion.
Osodeke highlighted that while some states like Enugu, Abia, and Oyo allocate more than 20 percent of their budgets to the education sector, Nigeria as a whole only allocates 4.5 to 7 percent, with less than 70 percent of that amount being released.
He also criticized university vice chancellors for not involving necessary stakeholders in the utilization of TETFund allocation to their schools, emphasizing that universities not following this practice should not have access to the fund.
On the other hand, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, emphasized the importance of carefully considering various needs and expectations when funding educational activities. Echono stressed the need for funding to be directed at essential programs aligned with strategic objectives to ensure maximum impact and benefit to the target group.
Tags
local