Source:https://franktalknow.com/
Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, highlighted significant deficiencies in Nigeria’s basic education sector, stating a need for 194,876 qualified teachers to address existing gaps. He also noted a requirement for 907,769 new classrooms at the primary school level and an additional 200,085 classrooms at the Junior Secondary School level, totaling 1,107,854 classrooms needed across basic education levels in the country.
Key Highlight:
-Dr. Hamid Bobboyi highlighted a severe shortage of qualified teachers in Nigeria’s public primary schools during a partnership meeting in Ikeja, Lagos. Out of the required 694,078 teachers at this level, only 499,202 are available, leaving a significant gap of 194,876 teachers.
-Dr. Hamid Bobboyi pointed out disparities in teacher deployment, noting that Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) and junior secondary schools have surplus teachers, particularly concentrated in urban areas. However, he highlighted a critical shortage of qualified teachers at the primary school level, attributing this issue to state governments’ negligence in prioritizing teachers’ professional development, despite receiving 10% of UBEC grants earmarked for this purpose.
-Dr. Hamid Bobboyi highlighted challenges with fund utilization by state governments, noting that despite federal allocations for UBEC, many states fail to use the funds as intended for Teachers’ Professional Development and Instructional Materials. He also lamented a severe deficit in school infrastructure, with 40% of classrooms in poor condition across Nigeria’s basic education sector. As of 2022, there was a need for 907,769 additional classrooms in primary schools and 200,085 in junior secondary schools nationwide.
-Dr. Hamid Bobboyi noted that all geo-political zones in Nigeria exceed standard learner-to-classroom and learner-to-teacher ratios outlined in the National Policy on Education. He highlighted widespread issues such as lack of furniture and inadequate toilet facilities, particularly severe in public schools compared to private ones.
-As of the latest data, there are 46,920,422 students in basic education, with 23,858,390 male and 23,062,032 female students. The total number of schools stands at 171,027, with 91,252 being private and 79,795 public schools. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of schools grew by 16.9%, primarily due to an increase in private schools, while public schools saw a modest 3.48% growth.
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