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The Senate Committee on Education warned on Monday
that without adequate funding of the education sector, the improvement
of the Nigerian educational system will remain a mirage.

Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Bangudu, made the
observation yesterday in Abuja when the committee paid a working visit
to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Education Trust
Fund.

“The NUC as a central organ is not adequately
funded,” he said. “It has led to a number of problems: children cannot
find enough spaces for admission; there are complaints about low
teacher and graduate quality from those institutions. There is need for
a rethink about how to fund the institutions.”

New alternatives

Mr Bangudu said the government could not afford to
cover all the costs in the sector and suggested greater partnerships
with private organisations.

“It is almost impossible that the government alone
will ever come up with the funding requirement for the sector,
therefore we must be ready to find out alternative means of funding,”
he said. “Institutions should be given the freedom to find alternative
sources of funding.” He pledged the Senate’s commitment and said that
efforts were being made, so that the Education Trust Fund law is
amended to ensure that education quality improves.

Julius Okojie, executive secretary of the NUC, agreed
that the release of funds to the sector has not been inadequate and
that it had affected the execution of capital projects by the
commission. He cited poor access to education as well as inadequate
teaching and research facilities as some of the other challenges faced
by the sector.

“The situation has remained the same over time
because it is a tuition-free environment and we [can only] grow at the
rate at which we are receiving resources.”