By Fred Ezeh
National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Titus Audu Amba, has registered the concerns of the union with the financial autonomy granted to local governments.
In this interview, he suggested what could be done to guarantee industrial peace and harmonious working relationship between the local governments, teachers and LG workers.
You raised concern about increasing commercialisation of education particularly basic education in Nigeria.
Yes, I did. As a union, we have been deeply concerned about the ugly development. We have also highlighted the dangers it could attract to our basic education system. We need to strongly protect the right to education of our children. This can be done through the provision of free, inclusive and equitable quality public education for all.
We are not unaware of the fact that the National Policy on Education (NPE) encourages participation of private providers of education to complement the efforts of government, but we are totally against the unchecked commercialisation of education and the activities of “non-state actors” that often trample on the rights of both teachers and learners.
One major threat to the right to education is the increasing trade and investment agreements and the use of market mechanisms in the provision of education. The seeming failure of government to invest adequately in quality public education and the reliance on private providers to fill the gaps existing in the public education system has resulted in proliferation of private schools of all kinds across the country.
What evidence do you have in that regard?
For instance, 2024 data from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), indicated there are 91,252 basic private schools, as against 79,777 public schools in the country. The upsurge in the activities of “non-state actors” in education sector is also promoted by International Financial Institutions and Development Partners (IFIDP), as well as the failure of government to regulate the operations of these for-profit private providers.
Unfortunately, the dependence on private providers of education has the effect of engendering decline in public investment in education, thereby weakening efforts to strengthen and expand provision of free, inclusive and equitable quality education for all in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).
The increasing participation of “non-state actors” with profit motive has turned education into a tradable commodity sold to learners, who are considered to be the customers, thereby denying the less-privileged, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, especially the girl-child, children with disabilities and those living in the rural areas, access to quality education. It is a fact that privatisation and commercialisation of education in any guise create stratification and segregation, leading to huge disparities in education opportunities and social inequalities.
We must emphasise that a free quality public education for all is key to the sustainable development and future prosperity of Nigeria and her citizenry. We reiterate our stand against the brazen attempt to legitimise profit making in the provision of education, which negates our desire and commitment as a nation, to provide compulsory, free, universal basic education for all
NUT recently launched a campaign for improved funding of education, particularly basic education in Nigeria.
Yes. It is called “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign designed to draw national attention to the need to increase budgetary allocation to the education sector. We know it’s difficult for any government to solely fund education, but there’s need for strict checks and monitoring.
Education International (EI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) have made it a point of duty for all partners to launch the campaign at all levels. Though, the campaign has been launched at the regional level, but we are trying to bring it down to states and local governments.
That was why we brought in chairmen and secretaries of state chapters of the union, so they can be empowered to champion the campaign at different levels. We have mandated them to design and carry out the campaign in their various jurisdictions. We would follow up to ensure expected result is achieved.
What are the objectives you want to achieve?
Our main objective is to cry out loud and draw the attention of global leaders to the need for improved funding for education. We want to ensure that well-meaning Nigerians, individuals, philanthropists, corporate organisations, and even government organisations buy into the campaign.
They need to see the reason education should be funded adequately. Governments at all levels should also see the reason to increase budgetary allocations to the education sector especially the basic education.
But amid the call for more funding, there are huge un-accessed funds at UBEC running into billions of naira.
You are very right. This is one of the challenges we are talking about. Undoubtedly, these huge funds at UBEC could be used to transform the basic education sector at states. Unfortunately, state governors seem unwilling to access these funds because of the conditions attached. States are supposed to pay a counterpart fund so they can access these funds, but sadly, many of them are “uninterested” for whatever reason.
But we won’t relent in our engagements with them. We would continue to push and make them see reasons to access these funds so they can develop the basic education sector, which is the foundation of learning. Few weeks ago, I sent a letter to virtually all the state governors reminding them about the un-accessed funds and the need to access them. I will soon visit the states for possible interactions with governors and SUBEB officials on the matter.
NUT, over the years, has kicked against local government autonomy, perhaps, because of mismanagement of teachers’ welfare. How will you manage the current situation that they have been granted financial autonomy?
You are wrong. We were never against LG autonomy. Undoubtedly, LG autonomy will bring growth and development if their finances are well managed and accounted for. However, our concern has been the level of corruption and mismanagement of LG funds, which often affects our members greatly.
In previous years that LGs enjoyed some level of financial autonomy, teachers were completely disregarded. We don’t want that to happen again. At a point, we were owed salaries for over nine months and were forced to embark on nationwide strike to register our concerns.
So, our challenge with LG is the payment of teachers’ salaries. We won’t accept if it’s left in the hands of local government. That’s the area we are not comfortable with. Please note that we are not against LG autonomy, but we want a situation where salaries of teachers, local government workers, traditional rulers and others are properly taken care of. We are in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employers (NULGE) in this battle because they face similar challenges.
Will you support the deduction of the counterpart funds from the source so states can easily access the UBEC funds?
That’s part of our plan and a very good suggestion. I have written letter to the state governors on this matter of un-accessed funds at UBEC. I expect positive response from them whenever we meet. But after all the engagements and we don’t achieve the desired result, we may be forced to push for this particular option.
We would contact the Federal Government and request that written instructions be communicated to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for deductions be made during allocation from the finances of the defaulter states. UBEC will help us achieve this goal.
World Teachers Day is coming fast. How far with the promises made to teachers by former president Muhammadu Buhari?
So far so good. I want to sincerely appreciate some of the states that have taken actions as regards teachers’ welfare as contained in the policy pronouncement by the President. For instance, about 20 states have implemented the service period elongation for teachers as recommended by the former president.
We are also following up on other aspects, because the extension of years of service is one among many other things the former president promised. We need to ensure that states begin to implement some of the policies, which are already a law. By October 5, 2024, when we would celebrate the World Teachers Day, we would roll out the things we have achieved over the period.