By Clement Abayomi
The Federal Government (FG) has announced that Nigeria needs to spend $345 million every year to teach and provide skills to 15 million children who are currently out of school.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, shared this information on Tuesday during a meeting with private sector leaders in Lagos.
Alausa explained that this money is necessary to fix the shortage of skilled workers and give these children support.
It was stated that 25 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are not in school across the country.
For instance, in the North-East and North-West, the number of children who are out of school is said to have increased by 41 percent.
Alausa maintained that the government is working hard through new education plans to reach a $1 trillion economy by 2030, but they need more help from the private sector to succeed.
In order to address the need for skilled workers, Alausa revealed that the government has already sent N10.6 billion to vocational training centres.
He also mentioned that N3.4 billion has been paid to trainees. So far, 160,000 students have been matched with training centres, and 72,000 are currently enrolled using a secure biometric system.
Furthermore, the government is said to have spent over N156 billion to repair 18 medical and engineering schools.
Alausa added that N70 billion went towards fixing laboratories, while N100 billion was used to build new hostels in 50 institutions.
He also spoke about a new grant designed to support science and technology students.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, responded by stating that the government cannot transform education alone.
She called on the private sector to partner with them to improve school buildings and training.
The Federal Government maintained that this investment is vital for the nation’s growth.
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