By Ralph Etim
Education remains a critical pillar of sustainable development globally and the bedrock of society, with the United Nations, through its Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, calling on governments to prioritize inclusive and quality education for all. It is important to note International best practice has shown that and recommends that developing countries commit between 16 and 26 per cent of their annual budgets to the sector to ensure functional infrastructure, adequate staffing, and improved learning outcomes.
Against this backdrop, a civil society group, Open Forum Care For Humanity Foundation, has faulted the Akwa Ibom State Government over what it described as poor funding of education in the proposed 2026 budget, warning that the low allocation threatens the future of the state’s education system. According to Citizen Matthew Koffi Okono, the group’s Founder, the proposed allocation to the Ministry of Education stands at about N35.2 billion, representing just over six per cent of the state’s nearly N1.4 trillion budget. A figure he said falls significantly below global benchmarks and what is required to address systemic challenges in the educational sector globally.
Citizen MKO in his press statement argued that the implications of the low allocation are already evident, particularly in the absence of capital votes for most tertiary institutions, a development the group said would further worsen infrastructure decay and create more difficult teaching and learning environments. While some institutions received substantial recurrent funding, the NGO noted that recurrent spending alone cannot drive meaningful reform.
For example, Akwa Ibom State University was allocated over N7.6 billion for recurrent expenditure, while the State Secondary Education Board received a combined allocation of about N29.1 billion, including capital votes. However, Okono maintained that without adequate capital investment, such funding would have limited impact on infrastructure renewal, growth or expansion.
The group equally raised concerns over what it described as avoidable errors in the budget documentation, citing the continued reference to the defunct Akwa Ibom State College of Education, instead of its current status as the Akwa Ibom State University of Education, and urged the government to correct the anomaly before the bill is passed into law.
Beyond funding, teachers shortage particularly in rural areas remains a major challenge confronting the education sector in the state. In its circular signed by Citizen Matthew Koffi Okono, the organization referenced recent submissions by the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT in Akwa Ibom, which indicated that no fewer than fifteen thousand teachers are required to address the worsening student-teacher ratio in the state’s public schools.
He acknowledged the efforts of Governor Umo Eno’s administration in constructing and equipping model primary schools across the state but stressed that isolated interventions would not substitute for a comprehensive, long-term strategy for education development in the state.
To this end and as part of measures to overhaul the sector, Open Forum has urged the state government to revisit and fully implement the Akwa Ibom Strategic Education Roadmap (AKSER) 2020–2030, developed by a high-powered think tank led by Prof. Hillary Inyang, which was adopted by the previous administration but stalled before the completion of its second phase. According to the group, full implementation of the roadmap would not only strengthen policy coherence but also position the state to attract local, national, and international education grants, reducing dependence on government funding alone.
In a spirited goodwill, the group also expressed concern that Prof. Inyang, the lead consultant behind the roadmap, is reportedly owed outstanding payments for services rendered more than six years ago, describing the situation as discouraging for experts engaged in public sector reform initiatives.
And therefore concluded by calling on the Akwa Ibom State Government to increase education funding to at least 16 per cent of the state budget, urgently recruit the required teachers, and demonstrate stronger political commitment to education, warning that continued underinvestment could have long-term consequences for human capital development in the state.