The Universal Basic Education Commission has revealed that Nigeria needs an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms to be able to absorb the growing number of out-of-school children in the country.
A statement by the Director, Press, of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, disclosed this on Tuesday.
The statement noted that the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hammed Boboyi, gave the statistics while briefing the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on his agency’s activities.
According to the statement by the FME, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, however, gave “strong indications that his administration will prioritize basic education in the Country, emphasizing that the foundation level is the most critical segment in the sector which must be properly developed to impact positively on other tiers of the sector and overall National Development.”
Prof. Tahir used the occasion to call on all the States of the Federation to show greater commitment towards providing counterpart funding to accelerate the development of basic Education in the Country, adding that the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every Nigeria Child is brought on board the ship of Education. The Minister noted that the forthcoming National Census will put paid to the controversies surrounding the actual figures of out-of-school children.
Earlier in his briefing, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobo told the Ministers that the Country needs an additional 20, 000 schools and 907, 769 classrooms to absorb the growing number of School Children.
The Executive Secretary identified Infrastructural gaps, and inadequate Manpower as some of the challenges facing the Commission in its efforts towards ensuring equitable access to quality basic Education.”
