A group of education experts and stakeholders in the education sector have come together to urge President Bola Tinubu's new administration to allocate a higher percentage of the budget, specifically 30%, to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the country.

During the inaugural School Leaders Conference held in Lagos, participants, including principals, school owners, administrators, and representatives from both public and private sectors, expressed their concerns over the long-standing issue of inadequate funding and neglect of the education system by previous administrations.

The conference, titled "Building to Last in a Rapidly Changing Modern World," was organized by the Learning As I Teach (LAIT) Foundation Africa. Its aim was to foster collaboration among school leaders, facilitate meaningful discussions, and establish a collective approach towards building sustainable educational institutions across Africa.

In her keynote address, Dr. Abimbola Ogundere, the founder of the LAIT Foundation and convener of the conference, emphasized the urgency of increased funding for education in Nigeria. She highlighted the crucial role education plays in developing the human capacity necessary for the nation's progress.

Dr. Ogundere called on the federal government to implement strategic measures, including a comprehensive review of the curriculum in colleges and faculties of education. She also stressed the importance of appointing professional educators to key administrative positions within the education sector, such as commissioners and ministers. These measures, she argued, would safeguard Nigeria's education system from collapse and ensure its long-term sustainability.

The convener said: “It is funny to think that the foundation of the future is not well funded. We know that less than 20 per cent of the budget of the whole nation goes to education. So we are asking that there is more funding to aid infrastructure – physical and technological, train and empower teachers, increase remuneration, and curriculum review, among others.

“It is crucial that there is a spotlight on funding the sector and equipping the teachers. There is so much infrastructure that needs to be put in place. You go into an average public school somewhere, and children are still sitting on the floor. We don’t need that in 2023.