In 2017, when the Nigerian President, Mohammadu Buhari presented an N8.6 trillion naira budget to the National Assembly, which was merely 7.0% of its grand total, only few Nigerians expressed displeasure and dissatisfaction. The handful of people sternly warned that the paltry allotted sum conflicted with what was reasonably required in the Nigerian education sector. Till date, the moral lesson of inadequate funding has never been learnt. Repeating the flaw, President Tinubu-led administration in mid-December 2024, presented year 2025 education budget, merely worth 7.3% of the total budget.

Nigeria has historically underfunded its education sector. Since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, education has rarely received more than 10% of the federal budget. The highest allocation was 10.6% in 2014, with a significant decline to 5.6% in 2021 and 5.4% in 2022. Funding the education sector has been patchy, and in most cases has been below the belt. An analysis of Nigeria’s annual budget for education between 1999 and 2023 showed a cultured practice of underfunding the most paramount sector. The deliberate starvation of adequate funds to the sector has resulted in poor facilities, paucity of teaching aids, and a spate of demotivated teachers.

Unlike Nigeria, several African countries, including South Africa, have demonstrated a stronger commitment to financing education. South Africa, for instance, has consistently allocated relatively UNESCO-recommended share of national GDP to education. In 2022, the country’s allotted budget education was 19.75%, surpassing the previous year’s allocation by 1.26%.

The Nigerian education system is plagued by chronic underinvestment, resulting in dilapidated infrastructure (physically and socially) across all levels of education. Government institutions, including universities, secondary schools, and primary schools, lack essential facilities, creating poor learning conditions. Many universities, polytechnics and mono-technics do not have appropriate lecture theaters, laboratories, and hostel facilities, forcing students to learn in overcrowded or makeshift classrooms, enduring substandard living conditions. The situation is equally dire in primary and secondary schools, where classes are held in poorly constructed buildings, furniture is scarce, and basic amenities like electricity, clean water, laboratories, and functional toilets are lacking.

A 2016 Vanguard newspaper report exposed the alarming state of public schools in Lagos State. The report revealed that 1,005 primary schools and 663 junior and senior secondary schools grappled with severe overcrowding, dilapidated infrastructure, and other pressing issues. Some of these schools had become hotspots for criminal activity after school hours, prompting parents to express concerns about the hazardous learning environment. There has been no sphere of the education sector spared of the effects of the systemic neglect.

Nigeria’s inadequate education budget, a result of the lack of reverence for the sector, has cross bordering consequences, on staff welfare and remuneration. This has led to repeated ASUU strikes, disrupted academic calendars and frustration for students. The strikes stem from unpaid salaries, poor working conditions, and unfulfilled agreements. This has also triggered a brain drain, depleting Nigeria’s teaching workforce and making the state of education worse.

Poor Funding And Fee Hike: The Tango Dance

Inadequate funding in Nigeria disproportionately affects low and middle-income students. Recent fee hikes in public universities have forced some students to drop out, while others struggle to pay, shifting the financial responsibility from the government to students and families.

As a result, students resort to menial jobs, begging, and borrowing to pay fees, while parents allocate significant portions of their income to education. The University of Ibadan exemplified this, where students turned to Twitter to crowd-fund fees, and the Students’ Union, unashamedly begged for donations to cover fees.

Nigeria’s proposed tax reform bill, another evidence of the neglect, recently ignited a fierce debate, particularly over the planned abolition of the education tax that funds the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). This tax vital to Nigeria’s tertiary education system, is posed to be eliminated and would severely undermine funding for infrastructure, research, and academic growth in tertiary institutions, hindering progress in the sector.

Only a few stakeholder, including ASUU, have cautioned that abolishing the education tax would have disastrous consequences, including slashed funding, stifled research, and intensified financial hardship for students and parents. The truth is that TETFund has been a vital lifeline for Nigeria’s higher education, bridging chronic funding gaps and supporting development, faculty training, and research. TETFund has donated critical infrastructure to institutions like the University of Ibadan, such as the NFLT and the Faculty of Law Large Lecture Theatre, and many more.

Abolishing the education tax would be a devastating blow to Nigeria’s education sector, stripping institutions of a critical funding lifeline. The consequences would be severe. Already-strained institutions would struggle to provide basic necessities, overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure would worsen, and research and academic innovation would grind to a halt. This would undermine the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities, crippling the country’s future prospects.

Eliminating the education tax would have far-reaching and devastating consequences for Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Financial burden would shift squarely onto students. It would lead to skyrocketing tuition fees that would further commercialize education and limit access for many Nigerians. This move would broaden the existing inequalities, making higher education an unattainable dream for those from lower-income backgrounds. The financial strain would not only erode the quality of education but also discourage international collaborations and partnerships, essential for academic growth and global integration. It would also hinder the country’s ability to produce skilled and knowledgeable graduates who can drive economic growth and development.

The Rescue: Roles and Responsibilities

Government has a responsibility to fund and allocate enough resources to the education sector. A demand for more funding is imperative, on the premise that education is key to the development of any nation, its economy and social fabric. Government at all levels must ensure that it sets aside enough funds for the education sector. It must also ensure that disbursed or generated funds are properly utilised to address system deficiencies such as dilapidated infrastructure, poor welfare of teachers and poor learning environment.

While the government bears significant responsibility for Nigeria’s education system, student union bodies, such as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the University of Ibadan Student Union (UISU), also have a critical role to play. Historically, these bodies have been vocal in demanding improvements to education policies. Their overwhelming silence today has added to the woes and is deserving of repentance.

It is imperative that student bodies reclaim their mantle as advocates for education reform. By doing so, they can hold the government accountable. This is particularly important, as adequate funding can help address pressing issues like overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and outdated resources – which are all serious concerns in the student community. By engaging in constructive dialogue with government officials, and other stakeholders, this collaborative and conscious approach can help bring organic solutions to the myriad of challenges facing Nigeria’s education system.

Parents and educators, as primary stakeholders in the education process, have a significant interest in shaping education reforms. But their voices are barely heard or overlooked. It is essential for parents to take active role in advocating for quality education, participating in budget formulation, and demanding accountability from governments and local authorities. Teachers, similarly, have a vested interest in education funding, as it directly impacts their wages, training, and working conditions. As professionals, they have an ethical obligation to advocate for a system that benefits their students and prepares them to contribute to societal growth. Teachers’ unions, such as ASUU and NUT, should serve as vocal advocates for improved education.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have their own share of roles to play. By engaging citizens, raising awareness about the sector’s challenges, and pressuring governments and stakeholders, CSOs can drive meaningful changes. They can raise public awareness about the state of education in Nigeria, highlight issues such as underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, and poor teacher training. They can also monitor the utilization of disbursed resources and evaluate the effectiveness of education programs. They can mobilize local education reform efforts, empower parents and students to demand better education services, and build the capacity of educators, policymakers, and community leaders.

Nigeria’s education sector teeters on the brink of collapse, starved of vital funding and suffocating under systemic neglect. As infrastructure crumbles, teachers lose hope, and learning schedules are constantly disrupted, the future of millions of young Nigerians hangs precariously in the balance. To arrest this downward spiral, a bold and collective response is needed. Increased investment, smarter resource management, and a united front from government, educators, students, parents, and civil society are the non-negotiable way out.

All stakeholders must begin to find their silent voices. In an underfunded situation of the education sector, yet again, there is fire on the mountaintop.