Governors Decry Poor Execution As States Raise Education Budget To ₦3.6trn

36 Governors of the Federation under the umbrella of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have expressed concern over the persistent gap between budgetary commitments and actual implementation in the education sector, even as states collectively increased their 2025 education budgets by 53 per cent—from ₦2.4tn to ₦3.6tn.

Speaking at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Education Forum (NEF 2025) held on Tuesday in Abuja, the NGF Chairman and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said that although states have significantly expanded their financial commitments to education in recent years, execution remained the biggest challenge undermining progress.

The governor, who was represented by the Director-General of the Forum, Dr Abdulateef Shittu, said states spent ₦1tn—representing 12 per cent of total expenditure—on education in 2022, while ₦1.6tn was budgeted in 2023 and ₦2.4tn in 2024.

He noted that the jump to ₦3.6tn in 2025 was driven largely by a 69 per cent increase in capital allocations.

However, he lamented that “the impact of this commitment is constrained by execution,” revealing that states utilised only 67 per cent of the funds budgeted for education in 2024, resulting in an ₦800bn shortfall tied to unexecuted capital projects.

He described the recurring implementation gap as one of the most urgent challenges before the country.

Governor AbdulRazaq said Nigeria stands at a defining moment in education financing, with 43 per cent of its population under 14 years and another 33 per cent between 15 and 24 years.

He warned that the country risks missing the demographic opportunity without systemic investment.

He noted that national education spending remains at 3 per cent of GDP—below the global benchmark of 4–6 per cent—while education allocations in national and state budgets still fall short of UNESCO’s recommended 15–20 per cent.

The NGF chairman highlighted promising trends across states, saying projections for 2026 showed six states—Lagos (₦249bn), Kano (₦405bn), Enugu (₦523bn), Kaduna (₦246bn), Katsina (₦156bn) and Abia (₦203bn)—are expected to allocate a combined ₦1.8tn to the sector.

He added that Kano, Enugu, Kaduna and Abia would devote 30 per cent, 32 per cent, 25 per cent and 20 per cent of their respective budgets to education.

“We are projecting that two-thirds of the states will meet the 15 per cent global benchmark in the 2026 fiscal year,” he said, while acknowledging that debt servicing still limits the capacity of some states to invest in teachers, foundational learning, TVET, and higher education.

AbdulRazaq outlined the Forum’s strategic priorities—access and continuity, learning and skills development, and sustainable financing and efficient delivery.

He said the NGF would work with states to expand enrollment and transition, strengthen literacy and numeracy, and modernise instructional models, including digital-enabled learning and competency-focused TVET systems.

He also emphasised the need for improved domestic revenue mobilisation, innovative financing instruments such as pooled funds and education bonds, and stronger partnerships with industry players, philanthropists, and development institutions.

The NEF 2025, themed “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between the Town and Gown in Nigeria,” aims to strengthen collaboration between policymakers, academia, industry, and development partners.

Describing education reform as an economic, social, and national security imperative, AbdulRazaq called for accountability, improved execution, school safety, and transparent mechanisms to protect and deliver capital investments.

He noted that the NGF Academy and Leadership Centre would continue to support states with analytics, capacity-building, and peer-learning tools to strengthen planning and efficiency.

The Forum chairman thanked partners—including Premium Trust Bank, Edo, Enugu and Kano State Governments, NewGlobe, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Bayelsa and Plateau State Governments, Samsung Electronics West Africa, and Seplat Energy—for supporting the event.

He said NEF 2025 should mark the beginning of a new era “where financing matches ambition, execution matches commitment, and education becomes the engine that powers Nigeria’s national renewal.”