In a statement titled ‘National Assembly should stop paying lip service to Universal Basic Education in Nigeria,’ Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, called on lawmakers to prioritize basic education. He criticized the proposed severe penalties for parents failing to send children to school, highlighting the need for concrete legislative measures.
Falana pointed out the lack of institutional memory in federal lawmakers, emphasizing the progress made in legislating for universal access to basic education. He stressed that the responsibility for free and compulsory education lies jointly with the federal, state, and local governments, as each state has adopted the Child’s Rights Act.
The human rights lawyer expressed concern over the failure of the political class to allocate sufficient attention and counterpart funds to Universal Basic Education.
Falana urged the National Assembly to shift focus towards addressing the refusal of state governments to contribute to the Universal Basic Education Fund. He proposed urgent constitutional amendments empowering the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct counterpart funds directly from state governments.
Falana’s call emphasizes the pressing need for legislative action to tackle the challenges hindering the education of Nigerian children.
