The federal government has allocated the sum of N60 billion in the 2025 budget for school nutrition feeding of primary schools as one of the new projects to be executed by the Federal Ministry of Education under its Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP)
Recall that the immediate past minister of education has hinted that the school feeding programme will be handled by the ministry, which was where it originally started before it was moved to the Presidency.
The Federal Ministry of Education was allotted the sum of over N348 billion out of the total allocation of over N2. 517 trillion for the sector, which is among the highest but yet to meet the World Bank 20 to 30 per cent recommendation.
Further breakdown of the ministry’s budget for new project include the allocation of N50 billion was allocated to support the daunting Out of School Children (OSC) project while N1, 000,000,000 billion was dedicated for provision of learning materials resources for basic and secondary schools across the 36 states and the FCT as well as provision of modern learning material for 118 federal unity colleges.
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In addition, the ministry also budgeted N5, 000,000, 000 billion for the development and upskilling of teachers on the new curriculum and modern ways of teaching in 112 federal unity colleges in the country.
Also, the sum of N30, 000, 000 million is allocated for sustainable scalable and equitable science laboratory equipment in 120 unity schools.
Also, under its ERGP the ministry also allocated N420, 000, 000 million for the induction of 3,500 newly recruited teachers on acculturation into the school system and practice.
Another new project to be undertaken by the ministry is Smart/Digital school education programme, which a total of N415, 000, 000 is assigned to, this is in addition to the provision of 300 numbers of 3 in1 desktop computer to the sum of N300, 000, 000 million, while the provision of 50 Corei7 laptop will gulp the sum of N100, 000, 000 million.
Also, N85, 000, 000 million will be dedicated to providing 100 printers and another N80, 000, 000 million was allocated for another 40 numbers of 3 in1 desktop computers and printers.
Recall the federal government has retreated on the need to implore smart education for global competitiveness and bridge learning gaps.
Meanwhile, the sum of N175, 000, 000, 000 was allocated for the budget preparation, defence and administration which is ongoing.
Reacting, an educationist, Michael Sule said it is one thing to allocate money for projects in the sector but another thing to execute the projects.
“No matter the amount dedicated to education for all the ministries and parastatals to carry out projects, the education sector has remained at its lowest ebb, so we need to move from being excited from the figures we hear to ask where the projects are,” he said.
He said: “We keep politicising the system and bringing politics into appointments and job executions, that is why most projects don’t get to see the light of the day.”
He however advised the minister and all the stakeholders to ensure that the fortune of education is turned around for better.
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