By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Only 10 states – among them Lagos, Bayelsa, Yobe, and Zamfara – have provided 50 per cent matching grants to collect their allocation from the N29.38 billion with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
UBEC is in charge of the money voted by the federal government to fund free primary and junior secondary school (JSS) across Nigeria, a country with about 40 per cent (80 million) of its 200 million population illiterate.
Literacy rate is the percentage of population aged 15 years and over who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement in his/her everyday life, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Generally, the WHO adds, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Nigeria’s literacy rate
Nigeria’s literacy rate has fluctuated in the past three decades, rising and falling even as the population keeps on increasing.
According to Macrotrends, Nigeria’s literacy rate
· In 2018 was 62.02 per cent, a 10.94 per cent increase from 2008
· In 2008 was 51.08 per cent, a 19.12 per cent decline from 2006
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· In 2006 was 70.20 per cent, a 15.43 per cent increase from 2003
· In 2003 was 54.77 per cent, a 0.67 per cent decline from 1991
Citing UBEC data, The Nation reports that 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) failed to provide matching grants to access the fund in 2020.
The data shows that as of August 17, UBEC has disbursed N500,198,430,904.47 to states since 2005, but some have failed to provide 50 per cent matching grant to access N29,383,637,521.72.
Some governors cite a lack of funds for 50 per cent matching grant to access their states’ allocation. And that means sparse funds for primary and JSS in those states.
According to The Nation, the N29.38 billion in UBEC record contradicts the N130 billion announced by Education Minister Adamu Adamu at the 65th National Council on Education meeting in Jalingo on August 12.
Adamu, represented by Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, expressed regret at the inability of some states to access the fund and urged them to re-prioritise basic education.
Defaulting states
UBEC data shows that only Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Rivers, Yobe, and Zamfara provided 50 per cent matching grant and fully accessed their allocation in 2020.
States that did not access their allocation by 2020 are
1. Ogun (N2,726,235,8829.08)
2. Anambra (N2,234,958,215.39)
3. Imo (N2,234,958,215.39)
4. Edo (N2,234,958,215.38)
5. Niger (N1,728,331,188.82)
6. Enugu (N1,567,052,793.43)
7. Abia (N741,505,036.67)
8. Adamawa (N715,074,142.53)
9. Bauchi (N715,099,008.23)
10. Benue (N715,094,142.53)
11. Borno (N715, 074, 135. 21)
12. Cross River (N717, 121, 163. 55)
13. Ebonyi (N2, 234, 958, 215. 39)
14. Edo (N2, 234, 958, 215. 38)
15. Ekiti (N715, 074, 136. 53).
16. Gombe (N715, 074, 136. 53)
17. Kaduna (N715, 074, 136. 49)
18. Katsina (N715, 074, 136. 53)
19. Kogi (N715, 094, 136. 53)
20. Kwara (N715, 216, 325. 23)
21. Nasarawa (N715, 075, 137. 22)
22. Ondo (N715, 074, 136. 53)
23. Osun (N715, 074, 136. 53)
24. Oyo (N715, 074, 136. 53)
25. Plateau (N715, 074, 136. 53)
26. Sokoto (N715, 074, 136. 53)
27. Taraba (N715, 074, 136. 53)
28. The Federal Capital Territory (N715, 074, 137. 46)