The Beta Nigeria, a non-governmental organization, has urged the federal and state governments to urgently increase budgetary allocations to the education sector to secure the nation’s future.
The Federal Lead for Beta Nigeria, Malam Abdulsalam Badamasi, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a roundtable with civil society organisations, media and other key stakeholders to amplify the demand for educational reform in the country.
He said the organisation will engage government at all levels in ensuring that the menace of out-of-school children is tackled.
He noted that investments in education will translate to the creation of a skilled workforce, economic growth, and innovation in the long term for the country, saying his experience, born and raised in Kano State, shows that despite the efforts, more still needed to be done in education across the country.
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On her part, a former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investment, Hajiya Maryam Uwais, emphasized the importance of advocacy because many issues regarding education relate to behavioural change.
She said people needed to change their approach towards convincing parents, communities, religious, or faith-based leaders to engage with the value of formal education.
“I think this is a very good effort, and nothing is too much to get all our children back into school,” Uwais said.
