Young scientists in the giant of Africa, NigeriaI was excited and full of anticipation when it was announced in 2015 that appropriate provisions had been made in the country’s 2016 budget, which was the following year. Nigeria’s President Buhari declared in the budget this year (2015) that university education will be free for science, education and technology students in the country. This policy was highlighted in the ‘Laying the foundations for sustainable growth’ section of the 2016 budget.
This and much more consisted of the controversial 2016 budget, which made international news for all the wrong reasons. The budget’s release was followed by massive allegations of forgery, padding and embezzlement – problems followed by reports of stolen budgets.
Despite the controversy, the budget Despite the drama surrounding Nigeria’s 2016 budget, the budget did indeed contain proposals with incredible prospects. In summary, the budget has addressed the issues of security, development, transparency, economy and education, and likely actionable plans to address these issues have been drawn up. Now let’s talk about the section where education was mentioned and on which we dealt. It may interest you to know that the most appealing part of the budget was the emphasis on the education department.
Initially, 369.6 billion naira was allocated for educational affairs in Nigeria; to cover a phased but soon-to-be-approved plan for public elementary school feeding. According to a National Assembly correspondent for The Premium Times, the budget stipulated that 500,000 unemployed graduates and NCE holders would be trained and deployed in partnership with state and local governments.
Importance of Budget 2016 Education Policy for Nigeria
For every Nigerian, the most striking aspect of the education budget consisted in providing free tuition to students offering courses in science and technology. and education. This is because the above areas are of great importance for the national development of the country. Making a big statement about the three said a lot about how the nation wanted to decide for posterity.
Buhari’s statement on the education sector, advocated the promotion of science and technology in universities and also showed the government’s willingness to make significant efforts to raise Nigeria and Africa equally up the education ladder.
The implementation of these policies has a potential to make Nigeria a much more manufacturing nation than it already is. It would mean making learning super available and affordable for large numbers of people who might be talented in science, technology or education. Imagine what happens when these tons of students make the most of this golden opportunity?
Education is a basic requirement for any African country. The department definitely needs to be expanded as the main beneficiaries are the growing generation that will one day take the lead. By investing in the education of young people, we directly empower an entire nation/continent. Nigerian President Muhamadu Buhari welcomed this fact when he decided to offer free education for science and technology students.
However, one thing remains vague; the media cannot state categorically that the measures taken for the education sector are currently being implemented. The media fails to notice the policy update, which also states that university teachers will be sent to primary schools to improve basic education in rural areas.
It is important for Nigerians to note that there prioritization of science and technology and education in the country is an urgent need if the giant of Africa is to fly the flag of excellence economically.
The implementation of the 2016 budget related to education will indeed be explosive for the country’s economy. A country like Nigeria, although always in the news for controversial reasons, has potentials that are popping up anywhere in the world if only it takes advantage of the myriad opportunities that are presented to it.