GOVERNORS COMMIT TO 15% EDUCATION FUNDING TO TACKLE OUT-OF-SCHOOL CRISIS IN NIGERIA

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) hosted its first International Conference on Girl Child Education from October 10 to 11, 2024, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. This conference, themed “Girl Child Empowerment Through Quality Education,” brought together all 36 state governors, educational experts, and stakeholders to address the pressing issue of out-of-school children and the challenges faced by girls in accessing quality education.

A key outcome of the conference was the commitment by the governors to allocate at least 15% of their annual budgets to the education sector. This decision aims to meet international benchmarks and improve Nigeria’s educational infrastructure, targeting challenges like overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. The NGF’s Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, emphasized the urgency of investing in education, particularly for girls, as a path to social and economic development.

The event also marked the launch of the Girl Child Education Volunteers’ Advocates (GICEVA) initiative, aimed at recruiting over 774,000 volunteers to promote girl-child education at local levels. This initiative is part of a broader effort to reintegrate out-of-school children, especially girls, and ensure they receive the necessary support for continuous learning.

The conference concluded with the signing of a declaration by state education commissioners, reinforcing the commitment to improving educational outcomes for girls across Nigeria. The federal government also announced plans to start a nationwide drive from October 15 to bring out- of-school children back into the classroom, with a focus on empowering mothers to support their children’s education.

These steps signal a significant shift towards prioritizing education financing and targeting the systemic issues that have hindered access to quality education in Nigeria.