From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
An international NGO, ActionAid Nig, has called on the federal government to halt the dangerous trend of its plan for the commercialisation and privatisation of education in Nigeria
ActionAid, in a press statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja and signed by its communication officer, Lola Ayanda, on the occasion of world education day, said if education was commercialised, it will affect the children of the poor in the country.
The group said every Nigeria child was qualified for a qualitative and free education even as it called on the federal government to revise and increase allocation for education to 15% – 20% of public expenditure.
It also advised the federal government to increase the tax base by capturing the informal sector to increase resources, working towards a minimum tax to GDP ratio of 20%.
The statement also urged the federal government to provide free quality education for all and halt the dangerous trends of privatization and commercialization of education and ensure inclusive educational systems in all tertiary institutions.
It also asked the government to improve the quality of teaching through adequate recruitment, remuneration and continued teacher training and re-training.
The NGO, however, noted that there was no full compliance of the COVID-19 protocols in some of the schools that were recently reopened and warned against the spread of the deadly disease.