Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s government has allocated N107.72 billion to the education sector in its proposed 2023 budget, pending before the Kaduna assembly for consideration.

A copy of the budget document showed that the allocation represents 29.1 per cent of the total N370.3 billion proposed for the 2023 fiscal year.

A breakdown of the allocations also showed that the ministry for education got N34.2 billion representing 9.25 per cent of the total budget, made up of N13.28 billion for recurrent expenditure and N20.96 billion for capital expenditure.

The state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) got N45.64 billion, representing 12.3 per cent of the total budget, with a capital expenditure of N40.22 billion and recurrent expenditure of N5.42 billion.

Kaduna State University (KASU) was allocated N18.59 billion, representing five per cent of the total budget of N5.15 billion for recurrent expenditure and N13.44 billion for capital expenditure.

Also, N2.69 billion was earmarked for the State Scholarship and Loans Board, of which N42.37 million was allocated for recurrent expenditure and N2.65 billion for capital expenditure.

Similarly, Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, got N3.03 billion, with recurrent and capital expenditures constituting N1.81 billion and N1.23 billion, respectively.

Furthermore, the State College of Education, Gidan Waya, got N2.86 billion, with N1.85 billion earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N1.01 billion for capital expenditure.

However, the three sub-sectors with the least allocation are the Teacher Service Board (N109.24 million), Kaduna State Library Board (N93.71 million), and the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (N460.48 million).

The N107.72 billion allocated to the sector was N41.32 billion higher than the N66.40 billion revised allocation to education in the 2022 budget, representing a 62.2 per cent increase.

However, the 2022 half-year budget performance report showed that of the N66.40 billion allocated to the sector, only N19.85 billion was spent, representing 29.9 per cent performance leaving a variance of N46.55 billion.

Commenting on the development, Aliyu Tijjani, citizens’ co-chair of the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM), commended the government for increasing the budget for education.

Mr Tijjani, however, urged the government to pay attention to releasing funds to enable the education ministry, department, and agencies to implement planned programmes.

“As you have observed in the 2022 second quarter budget performance, the ministry for public works and infrastructure, with an allocation of N31.92 billion, was able to spend N19.91 billion, representing 62.3 per cent performance,” said Mr Tijjani. “Similarly, the ministry for finance, with an allocation of N36.31, spent N23.11 billion, representing 63.6 per cent performance, while the education sector, with more than N66 billion, spent only N19.9 billion.”

He called on the government to demonstrate its commitment to improving the education sector by ensuring adequate and timely release of allocated funds to the sector. 

(NAN)