Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been charged to strengthen their capacity in education budget tracking and proper implementation at the states and federal level.
They were given the advice at a two-day capacity building workshop for members of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop had participants from seven Northern states namely; Kastina, Benue, Kano, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau and the FCT.
Mr Duke Ogbureke, National Moderator, CSACEFA, said the aim of the workshop was to provide its members with budget tracking and analysis skills, to enable them function optimally at their respective states.
“For our members to be able to do their work effectively in tracking and monitoring education budget, they need the skills.
“Education has not been getting the required funding that they should get and then the little that has been allocated in the budget are mostly not released.
“The ones that are released, it is important we know how well they are being used,” he said.
He urged the participants to ensure they network and familiarize themselves with stake actors and policy makers to push for an increase in education funding.
“If we really want development to happen in this country, we need to do something drastic in education funding and implementation,” he said.
Mrs Odinakachi Ahanonu, Policy Advisor, CSACEFA, added that the workshop is meant to increase the knowledge of participants on tracking education budget and ensure proper implementation at all levels of education.
“We want our members to engage governments at the state level to see how to reduce the out-of-school children in the country.
“Presently, Nigeria records 20 million out-of-school children and one of the challenges that has made this figure high is insufficient education funds, especially at the basic level.
“The CSOs are the voice of the voiceless and they speak for the marginalized, so it is important to build their capacities to engage with the government to get an increase funding for the sector,” she said.
Mr Azubike Nwokoye, a facilitator at the workshop, added that percentage of budget allocation to education sector had continued to fall over the years.
According to him, it was high time the government at all levels increase their budgetary allocation to the education sector, in other to bring about meaningful development in the country.
“In 2021, we had 5.29 per cent, in 2022 we had 4. 96 per cent and in 2023 we have 4. 93 per cent, the figures have continued to fall over the years.
“It is important for the government to give priority to education funding as the education sector has the potential of bringing a lot of people out of poverty,” he said.
Mr Sada Shu’aibu, a participant from Katsina state, said that the workshop had exposed him to advocate for more education funding especially in the North, as the region had continued to fall behind in education.
“I have improved knowledge on education budget tracking and I now know how to advocate for increased funding to this sector so that the trend on out-of-school children will be reduced,” he said.
Also speaking, Ms Ene Ogbiloja, a participant from Benue, added that misplaced priorities had continued to affect education funding in the country.
She added the the knowledge gained at the workshop would help her in building capacities of other CSOs in her state to speak out on the need to increase investment in the education sector.(NAN)
