The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has raised the alarm over inadequate funding and poor welfare of teachers, warning that the challenges are contributing to the declining standard of education and worsening out-of-school children crisis in the country.
The union spoke on Thursday in Kano during the launch of the ‘GoPublicFund Education Campaign’, a nationwide initiative aimed at mobilising public support for increased investment in education.
Representing the NUT National President, Audu Titus Amba, at the event, the National Deputy President of the union, Elder Comrade Kizito Kalu, said Nigeria’s education funding remained below international benchmarks, making it difficult for the country to provide quality education to its growing population.
He said the campaign was aimed at drawing the attention of governments and the public to the urgent need to increase funding for the sector at the federal, state and local government levels.
He said inadequate funding had affected virtually every aspect of the education system, including infrastructure, access to learning and the welfare of teachers.
Kalu said the campaign would also focus on tackling the growing population of out-of-school children, stressing that the problem required coordinated intervention across all tiers of government.