Buhari signs global pact to increase education funding by 50% in two years

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed a commitment to increase the funding for the Education sector by 50 per cent in the next two years.

A document, titled: Heads of State Call To Action On Education Financing, signed as a form of commitment at the ongoing summit in London, United Kingdom, contained global leaders’ commitment to the sector.

A statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the new agreement will see Nigeria steadily increasing investment up to 100 per cent by 2025.

The statement quoted President Buhari as declaring that the new agreement is aimed at improving learning outcomes through strengthened educational institutions, encouraging better teaching capacity, among other means.

“I join my brother, His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya, to affirm our commitment to improve learning outcomes in our respective countries by ensuring equitable access to quality and inclusive education for all our citizens, with particular emphasis on the girl-child.

“We fully endorse the call for more efficient use of resources and to significantly increase investment in education by strengthening institutions, promoting greater adoption of technology, building the capacities of our teachers and mobilising additional financial resources through legal frameworks and deliberate intervention on a sustainable basis.

“In this regard, we commit to progressively increase our annual domestic education expenditure by 50 per cent over the next two years and up to 100 per cent by 2025 beyond the 20 per cent global benchmark.

“Let us, therefore, raise our hands in solidarity to build a more secure and prosperous future for our children,” President Buhari said.

The President is attending the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025 in London, the United Kingdom.

The summit, which is being co-hosted by the Prime Minister of UK, Mr. Boris Johnson and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, seeks to give opportunity for leaders to make five-year pledges to support GPE’s work to transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.