ASUU Criticises FG, States Over Inadequate Education Budgets
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) criticised the Federal and state governments on Friday for their 2025 education budgets, describing the allocations as a demonstration of disregard and underestimation of the education sector’s significance.
During his address to the National Assembly on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu unveiled the 2025 budget proposal, a substantial N49.70 trillion spending plan titled “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.”
The Federal Government allocated N3.52 trillion to education, representing just seven per cent of the total budget. This allocation, which covers Universal Basic Education and nine new higher institutions, falls significantly short of the 26 per cent benchmark recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Nigeria’s National Policy on Education.
The World Bank similarly advises that 20-30 per cent of government budgets should be directed towards education annually.
Despite these international benchmarks, 18 states, including Lagos (6.93 per cent), Delta (6.89 per cent), and Bayelsa (6.83 per cent), allocated less than 26 per cent of their 2025 budgets to education.
Other states, such as Plateau (11 per cent), Ebonyi (17.68 per cent), Katsina (14 per cent), Bauchi (15 per cent), Oyo (21.44 per cent), Ogun (11.55 per cent), Nasarawa (20.4 per cent), Abia (20 per cent), and Sokoto (25 per cent), also fell short of this target.
Speaking with a correspondent on Friday, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed disappointment over the budget allocations, calling them a clear indication of the government’s lack of commitment to revitalising the education sector.
He remarked that while the Federal Government’s N3.52 trillion education budget might appear significant, “it only constitutes seven per cent, a figure unchanged from previous years.”
Osodeke drew attention to the worsening state of Nigerian universities, noting that “electricity costs for universities, which previously stood at around N20 million, now reach nearly N300 million.” He also stressed the impact of the deteriorating exchange rate on the value of the allocated budget.
The ASUU leader expressed doubts about the full disbursement of the budgeted funds, referencing the unfulfilled N300 billion allocation for university revitalisation in 2023.
“The government allocated N300 billion for university revitalisation in 2023, but as we approach 2025, those funds remain unreleased. What assurance do we have that this new budget won’t face the same issue?” Osodeke asked
