While the frequency and scale of corruption in education is universally difficult to measure, its manifestation in the form of growing inequality, endemic poverty and underdevelopment are visible. Corruption in Nigeria’s education sector plays a role in the steady decline in quality, learning and assessment outcomes as well as the increase in poverty, inequality and underdevelopment. When monies intended for building schools, purchasing supplies, or training and paying staff are diverted into private pockets, the quality and availability of education is negatively affected. An underfunded education sector will underserve pupils and fall short in supporting them to reach their full potential and improve their life chances.
Under-resourced learning environments also contribute to enrolment and attendance gaps. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) published in 2018 by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that some 9.1 million Nigerian children who are of school-going age are not attending school. This cohort of out-of-school children is much greater in the north than in the south of the country, and the situation has been worsened by years of insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compared with almost every other African country, Nigeria habitually underfunds its education needs, despite the steady rise in its population.
Compared with almost every other African country, Nigeria habitually underfunds its education needs, despite the steady rise in its population. The education sector receives significantly less than the minimum of six per cent of GDP and 15–20 per cent of public spending recommended by UNESCO. In 2018, Nigeria’s federal government allocated 605.8 billion naira (€1.3 billion) to the education sector – just 7.1 per cent of the budget – with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) receiving 100 billion naira (€218 million). According to budget analysis by BudgiT, the sectoral allocation for education has declined from 12.28 per cent of the federal budget in 2015 to 6.48 per cent in 2020 – its lowest level for five years. Poorly-trained and underpaid teachers and poorly-equipped school facilities mean that many young Nigerians do not attain a basic proficiency in literacy and numeracy.
The underfunding of education has contributed to the increased privatization of the sector and to stark disparities in educational opportunities for the wealthy and poor in Nigeria – with the rich being able to afford the highest quality of education, both at home and abroad, while the overwhelming majority of the population is failed by underfunded state facilities. It is imperative that efforts to tackle corruption in education succeed if Nigeria is to realize Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for ‘inclusive and equitable quality education for all’.
Finally, Nigeria’s education funding crisis is worsened by corruption, which drives ‘the diversion of funds meant for the education sector’, and is further complicated by the devolution of responsibility for education in Nigeria between the federal, state and local governments.
