Strike: FG Alone Can’t Fund Education Adequately — Minister

The Federal Government has insisted that only it cannot fund the education sector, calling on stakeholders to contribute their quota to achieve proper funding of education.

Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, who made the assertion in Abuja, said there is nowhere in the world that education is free.

He spoke at the commemoration of the International Literacy Day 2022, which was celebrated with students of Knosk-N100-A-Day secondary school in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Opiah thanked the National Library of Nigeria (LNL)  for hosting the celebration in the school and appreciated the proprietor of Knosk-N100-A-Day for the initiative, while also calling on people and entrepreneurs to partner government on funding education.

He said: “Government is providing infrastructure; training and retraining teachers, taking a lot of innovative steps to improve the quality of learning as well as ensuring the safety of children in schools,” he stated.

The National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of National Library of Nigeria, Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi, speaking during the event emphasised the importance of promoting literacy and improving the reading culture among citizens.

She also spoke about the choice of ‘Knosk-N100-A-Day-School’ to celebrate the International Literacy Day.

Anunobi stated that “at the National Library of Nigeria whose mandate includes promotion of reading culture amongst Nigerians, we are doing our best in promoting activities that excite and attract the non-literate population towards developing the reading and writing skills.

“Our activities are not only targeted at young people of school age, but also adults or those who think they are beyond the age of formal  education.

“To ensure inclusion, we promote reading and writing, not only in western languages, but also in our indigenous languages.

“This year’s International Literacy Day is celebrated with the theme, ‘Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.’ It was aimed at stimulating a rethink about the fundamental importance of literacy learning spaces to build resilience and ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all.

“It is a call to concerned individuals and organisations to fold their sleeves and contribute their quota in reducing the high rate of non-literate persons in our society as we accommodate every stratum and native of the Nigerian population.”

Responding, the proprietor of Knosk-N100-A-Day Secondary School, Mrs Irene Bangwell, said the school was founded in 2019, and parents pay N100 a day for their kids to learn and with the money, the school gives books to the students as well as sanitary pads to the female ones.

According to her, the school has 90 students and it intends to take 30 more this session.