Foremost Nigerian traditional ruler, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has revealed that the annual National Assembly’s budget is more than what is allocated to the education sector.
Igwe Achebe disclosed this after the conferment of an honorary fellowship on him by the Nigerian Academy of Letters, alongside co-awardees, Saturday Tribune Editor and columnist, Dr Lasisi Olagunju, and journalist and culture archivist, Mr Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo.
The fellowship conferment was one of the events at the 27th convocation and investiture ceremony of NAL held in Lagos on Thursday, with the theme ‘The humanities in the modern digital world’.
The igwe stated that Nigeria’s education has more often ranked below defence, infrastructure and the National Assembly in the annual national budget of the country.
He revealed that the average annual budget for education over the past 25 years, since 2000, is approximately 7.8 per cent of the national budget, which is far below the UNESCO and the national policy of education, and the recommended guideline of 20 to 26 per cent, which is not up to one-third of the guideline.
He compared Nigeria’s education budget with those of some African countries over the same periods Ghana, 24.37 per cent; Kenya, 21.7 per cent; Senegal, 21.3 per cent; South Africa, 20 per cent; and Morocco, 17 per cent.
“So Nigeria is far behind in the race in Africa and the world in providing for education, which is the bedrock for national development. This year, the education budget of the Federal Government and some 22 states is 7.8 per cent, so we are still lagging,” he said
He further said that education in Nigeria has suffered greatly from past institutional deficits, policy somersaults, poor implementation, and funding deficits, which hinder the country from growing the necessary human capacity to achieve its development potential.
Speaking on the theme of the convocation, the traditional ruler emphasised that digital technology is affecting every aspect of people’s lives, and that in education, virtual universities are increasingly becoming the norm.
“AI is roaring with a frightening speed, for good or for bad. It is now obvious that academic institutions, business organisations and governments would ignore AI at their own peril,” he said.
On the role of traditional institutions in the country, the igwe stressed that traditional rulers play important roles in the development of the country and humanity, and also in giving back to their communities of origin.
