The Federal Lead of Beta Nigeria, Abdulsalam Badamasi, expressed deep concern over the government’s supposed lack of prioritisation of education. He made this statement during a presentation at an interactive workshop held at the Abuja Intercontinental Hotel on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Badamasi revealed that less than eight percent of government spending is allocated to education, ranking Nigeria among the bottom eight countries worldwide in terms of education funding.
Badamasi’s revelation came in response to the repeated highlighting of the importance of education by participants, underscoring the stark contrast between the significance of education and the government’s low budgetary allocation to the education sector.
He emphasised the need for unified advocacy to campaign for increased investment in education, stating, “Everyone is to have a single voice and advocate for something that could help with the campaign to increase investment in education.”
Participants also identified various challenges facing education in the country, including inadequate remuneration for teachers, cultural and religious biases, and significant disparities between private and public schools in terms of curriculum and educational standards, as mentioned by a counselling psychologist and literary critic, Mr. Paul T. Liam.
However, the focus of the round table was on providing solutions and action points to address the numerous educational issues highlighted.
According to a legal practitioner and human rights activist, Maryam Uwais, “Advocacy is crucial, as many issues related to education involve behavioural change. Every effort should be made to ensure children return to school. It’s all about advocacy.”
Participants proposed solutions and action points, including conducting a regional study to identify specific educational challenges and increasing teachers’ remuneration, among others.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Cedar Seed Foundation, Lois Auta, cited Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, advocating for the right to education for persons with disabilities. She emphasised the importance of collaboration, advising, “Let the conversation not die here.”
Beta Nigeria Campaign (BN) is a grassroots movement advocating for enhanced education as a pivotal investment in Nigeria’s future stability and prosperity.
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