Gregory Ibe, the chairman of the Private School Owners Association, has faulted the education budget in the 2023 national budget by President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of playing deaf.

Mr Ibe acknowledged a considerable increase in the 2023 budget for education compared to the 2022 budget but insisted the sector required more funding.

“It appears we’re paying deaf ear to the major thing that can save (the) Nigerian education system. The education budget takes N470 billion out of the total budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which is still on the low side. There’s no amount of money you will put into the university system, polytechnic higher education, secondary school or basic school that will make the impact that is required,” explained Mr Ibe.

He advised the Buhari regime to privatise federal government-owned schools to sanitise the public education system.

“”What I’m saying is that if you want to develop a nation and you fail to develop the children of that nation, then forget it. You are not getting it right. There’s no amount of property you sell that can be equated to you investing in the education of your children,” Mr Ibe explained. “So the first thing that the president ought to do is to privatise institutions of high learning the same way that they brought it to NNPC as they fuse private individuals in there.”

The PSOA chair pointed out that “40 per cent of all educational institutions must have public-private partnership” to get things right in the sector.

“I’ve been preaching on this matter that in order to stop all these strikes actions, sell 40 per cent of all institutions to private individuals. So that the school will now become private-government ownership by selling 60 per cent to the private individual, and the government should hold 40 per cent,” stated Mr Ibe.

Mr Ibe, the chancellor of Gregory University, Uturu, Abia, added that if “this is done, there will be change, and there will be quality,” and there “will be sanity in the system, and salaries will be paid.”

He advised the Buhari regime to provide financial aid to Nigerian youths to study at higher institutions by revamping the federal scholarship board, suggesting an annual N2 million as student scholarship.

 “This money given will be payable through revolving money. Sixty per cent of northern Nigerian youth are not able to go to school because their parents cannot afford the fee,” explained Mr Ibe. “Even with free education, they are not encouraged to enjoy it. They cannot even enjoy free education, so they cannot even also pay for school fees.”

He added, “So, with this revolving money and financial aid plan, 60 per cent of the Northern Youth will go to school when all of us have the opportunity of receiving education, and this will translate to the development of the country.”

(NAN)