2023 Budget: Don Canvasses Increase In Education, Health In Line With Global Goals

 

Dr Sa’ad Abdullahi, Ag. Dean Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences UNILORIN 

 

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

Dr Sa’ad Abdullahi, Ag. Dean Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Ilorin, Ilorin has canvassed for the increase in budgetary allocation on education, health in line with global goals.

Abdullahi, made the call in his reaction to the 2023 budget proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari, who presented a record total of N20.51 trillion for the 2023 fiscal year before the two chambers of the National Assembly.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the proposed Revenue and expenditure budgets are N9.73 trillion and N20.51 trillion, respectively and the largest (nominally) in Nigeria’s history.

According to him, this results in the highest fiscal deficit (the difference between Revenue and Expenditure) of N10.78 trillion witnessed since 1999 when the Country’s current democratic dispensation began.

“It also represents 4.78 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Expenditure budgeted sum of N20.51 trillion is a 19.8 percent increase when compared to the N17.13 trillion of 2022 plus the supplementary budget,” he said.

Abdullahi explained that out of the total revenue of N9.73 trillion set aside to fund the budget for the year, approximately the same amounts of N1.08 trillion and N1.09 trillion were budgeted for education and health respectively, compared to N1.24 trillion that was budgeted for defense.

“The N1.08 trillion earmarked for the education sector, crossed the N1 trillion mark for the first time, but only accounted for 5.3 percent of the total budget allocation for the year.

“This is significantly lower than the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s benchmark for the funding of the educational sector.

“The international benchmarks recommend allocating 15 to 20 percent of public expenditure to education and 4-6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) .

“One out of five out-of-school children in the world is a Nigerian and both individuals and the country will benefit from investment in education. Unfortunately, the country’s education budget has been declining for years,” he said.

The Dean of Pharmacy observed that the most recent being a mere 5.6 percent of the 2021 budget, much below the recommended benchmark.

He pointed out that the Global Education Summit in London in July, 2021, the President promised that he would increase the budget for education by 50 percent between 2022 (to 14percent) and 2023 (to 16.7percent).

“Mr. President also said education expenditure would be increased by up to 100 percent by 2024 (to 20 percent) and 2025 (to 22.5percent) beyond the 20 percent global benchmark.

“While it was agreed that the 2021 budget was the worse in 10 years after 2011, that of 2022 also recorded a sad recurring decimal,” he lamented.

He asserted that in the face of 50 per cent increase, 8.4 percent was expected which is an equivalent of N1.14 trillion.

The don observed that unfortunately, it was approximately N0.92 trillion out of the total budget of N17.13 trillion which is 5.4 percent.

He added that going by the 2023 budget for education, it seems the President has forgotten he made a commitment in 2021 to increase education funding by 50 percent over the next two years.

He observed also that compared with the second-largest African economy after Nigeria shows that South Africa is to spend 20.4 percent of its total consolidated government expenditure on education, which is very commendable for a nation with a population of approximately 62 million people versus 200 million people in Nigeria.

“Education is no doubt at the heart of the world’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Not only is it a standalone goal (Goal 4), it is also a target contributing to other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health and well-being (Goal 3), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), responsible consumption and production (Goal 12) and climate change mitigation (Goal)

===================

For More News Join Our WhatsApp Group With This Link Below:
WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdPVxGOPHCI5Kd4ALZduZ7