The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the country lacks coordinated, verifiable, and authentic data on all aspects of the Education Sector.
Speaking at the Basic Education in Nigeria Boot Camp (Ben-B) summit 2024 in Lagos, Alausa revealed that due to the absence of data, interventions by governments and partners had been sporadic, isolated, and based on existing models.
The three-day summit, which started on Monday, was titled, ‘Improving Access to Inclusive Quality Education for All children in Nigeria, Addressing the Challenges of Out-of-School Children.’
He explained, “A typical example is the citing of different figures for out-of-school children by governments and various bilateral partners. Also, there is the acclaimed regional variation in learning capacities and the state of learners across the country. Such data will assist in the determination of the trends, patterns, inclusiveness, and clear weaknesses in the System and enable appropriate high-level decision-making.”
Alausa’s speech was read by the Director of Basic Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr (Mrs) Folake Olatunji-David.
He revealed that The Federal Ministry of Education was already implementing the government’s policy on Out-of-school Children’s Education through the activities of four of its Agencies and bilateral development partners while supporting the take-off of the Almajiri and Out-of-School Commission.
He stated that about two million beneficiaries had been reported.
Olatunji-David, represented by the Director of Public Basic Education, Mrs Joy Onoja, said the main objectives of the Bootcamp were to assemble Basic Education stakeholders to deliberate on Policy, practice, and implementation gaps facing the sub-sector.
“Ensure responsiveness of state ministries of Education (SMoEs) in compliance with National Education Policy decisions and programmes. Harmonise and coordinate resources and activities in the Basic Education sub-sector towards the achievement of national goals and aspirations. Monitor the progress of states and ensure reporting to the Federal Ministry of Education for proper coordination. The summit will review the implementation status, that is assess the extent to which recommendations have been implemented, identify best practices, share successful strategies and experience, address implementation gaps, refine strategies, foster collaboration, inform policy decisions, monitor progress and identify resource gaps.”
Olatunji-David added that despite concerted efforts, key challenges in the subsector still existed, such as an insufficient supply of classrooms and infrastructural amenities, low levels of learning outcomes, low enrolments, and in some cases, high enrolments that might overcrowd classrooms, staffing issues, and inefficient utilisation of resources.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Commissioner for Education, Mr Tola Alli-Balogun, maintained that improving access to inclusive quality education for all children in Nigeria required a multifaceted approach.
“It demands that we address the root causes of poverty and inequality, improve the quality of education, prioritize the safety and security of children, and challenge discriminatory attitudes and practices. We can ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances.”
Prof. Pai Obanya of the Institute of Education, University of Ibadan, called on stakeholders to reshape the perception of the teaching profession.
Presenting the lead paper, he emphasised that “teaching is not merely about telling but about guiding, employing continuous assessment instead of repeated testing, and utilising support tools from both local and external sources.”
Obanya stressed the need for disaggregated data, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, systematic monitoring, and targeted funding as essential strategies to revamp Nigeria’s education system and address the challenge of out-of-school children.
He further urged education sector managers to revisit and adhere to key policy documents, including the 1999 Implementation Guidelines on Universal Basic Education, the 2015 UBE Roadmap, and the National Teacher Education Policy, to reposition the sector for sustainable growth and development.