Twenty-Seven Years of Democracy: Nigeria Still Underfunding Education, Warns Chidoka

A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria's persistent underfunding of its education sector, noting that the country's budgetary allocations still fall drastically short of international benchmarks despite nearly three decades of uninterrupted democratic governance.

Chidoka raised the alarm while delivering a keynote address, where he argued that the country's inability to adequately fund public learning institutions poses a severe threat to its long-term socio-economic stability, human capital growth, and global competitiveness.

The former minister pointed out that 27 years after Nigeria's transition to civilian rule, successive administrations have consistently failed to meet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommendation, which advises developing nations to allocate between 15 and 20 per cent of their annual budgets to education.

He observed that this chronic financial neglect has manifested in dilapidated school infrastructure, poorly equipped laboratories, inadequate instructional materials, and a demoralised workforce, leading to frequent industrial actions that disrupt the academic calendar.

Chidoka stressed that the current trend of underfunding is particularly dangerous given Nigeria's rapidly growing youth population. He warned that failing to provide the next generation with quality, modern education could turn a potential demographic dividend into a significant security and economic liability.

To reverse this trajectory, the public commentator called for a total overhaul of the nation's budgetary priorities. He urged federal and state authorities to look beyond political rhetoric and implement sustainable funding mechanisms, transparent resource management, and strategic partnerships to rescue the sector from collapse.