…Says FG to grant financial autonomy to universities
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has hinted that President Bola Tinubu was determined to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria to the barest minimum by increasing funding for the education sector by 25%.
The Minister, made this revelation as he declared open the 2021 and 2022 Nigeria Annual Education Conference (NAEC), with the theme: “Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, which held in Abuja on Monday.
Prof. Mamman also revealed that his administration as Education Minister in Nigeria would bridge the gaps that exist between education policy statements and their actualisation outcomes. In his words, “President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure”.
Prof. Mamman further stressed the importance of basic and secondary schools being properly equipped, saying, “We know that society that had benefitted from education is known for nurturing creativity and research which starts from the lower levels”.
Speaking further, the Minister also disclosed that in a bid to initiate a new creative means of funding tertiary education, the Federal Government will be granting universities the autonomy to explore new sources of financing their activities.
According to him, emerging trends, including university autonomy and the Students Loans Fund as well as education financing, align perfectly with the vision for the education sector.
He said, “As a signatory to the SDG 2030 and AU Agenda 2060, Nigeria must continue to demonstrate its commitment to achieving these goals through leadership and ownership of the implementation process. The education sector is one of the line sectors that ensure that planning and budgeting in the country are within the framework of the SDGS.
“In proposing and developing implementation strategies, also provide for mechanisms for constant monitoring and evaluation, to ensure goals are achieved”.
