Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has highlighted the pressing need for an additional 194,876 qualified teachers in Nigeria’s basic education sector. This significant shortfall underscores a broader crisis in the country’s educational infrastructure, particularly at the primary school level. Bobboyi revealed that the nation requires 907,769 new classrooms for primary schools and an additional 200,085 classrooms for Junior Secondary Schools, totaling 1,107,854 classrooms needed across the basic education sector.
During a partnership meeting with the organized private sector in Ikeja, Lagos, Bobboyi emphasized the acute shortage of qualified teachers in public primary schools. The current requirement is 694,078 teachers, but only 499,202 are available, leaving a substantial gap. The imbalance is even more pronounced in Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) and junior secondary schools, where there are more teachers than required, primarily because of their skewed deployment favoring urban schools. This disparity contributes significantly to the pervasive issue of learning poverty in the country.
Bobboyi criticized state governments for not prioritizing teachers’ professional development, despite receiving funds specifically for this purpose. The federal government allocates 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to UBEC, with state governments receiving 10% of it for teacher development and 15% for instructional materials. However, many states fail to utilize these funds appropriately, and even the Matching Grant of 50% for other projects is often mismanaged.
The UBEC boss also addressed the critical deficit in physical infrastructure, noting that 40% of classrooms in the basic education sub-sector are in poor condition. This issue is widespread across all geo-political zones, with many learners lacking furniture and schools without adequate toilet facilities, particularly in public institutions. The high percentage of learners per classroom and per teacher exceeds the standards set by the National Policy on Education, exacerbating the challenges faced by the education system.
As of 2022, 46,920,422 young Nigerians are enrolled at the basic education level, with a nearly equal gender distribution. The total number of schools at this level is 171,027, comprising 91,252 private schools and 79,795 public schools. The number of schools grew by 16.9% between 2018 and 2022, driven mainly by an increase in private institutions, while public schools saw a modest growth of 3.48%. This disparity contributes to the low transition rates from primary to secondary school.
Bobboyi called for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to address these challenges, stressing that government alone cannot meet the extensive requirements for quality education. He urged the private sector to invest more in basic education, particularly in creating opportunities to address the out-of-school children phenomenon.
Dr. Mrs. Folake Olatunji, Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, echoed this sentiment, thanking the organized private sector (OPS) for their support and urging for continued assistance to positively impact Nigerian children’s lives. Representing the OPS, Morris Atoki emphasized the importance of leveraging the power of the private sector to collaborate with UBEC and make education accessible to all. with Basic Education Seriously facing setback, This move would help cushon the effect of out of school children in Nigeria.
