- The Federal Government and 22 states have allocated N6.131 trillion to education in the 2025 budget.
- This figure represents 9.27% of the total N66.111 trillion budget proposal.
- Only four states – Enugu, Kano, Jigawa, and Kaduna – met the UNESCO and Nigeria’s 26% benchmark for education allocation.
The Federal Government and 22 states have allocated a total of N6.131 trillion to education in the 2025 budget. This amount represents a mere 9.27% of the total N66.111 trillion budget proposal, falling short of the recommended benchmarks by UNESCO, the World Bank, and Nigeria’s National Policy on Education.
According to UNESCO, national and sub-national governments should allocate at least 26% of their budgets to education. The World Bank recommends a range of 20-30%, while Nigeria’s National Policy on Education stipulates that no less than 26% of the federal and state governments’ budgets should be allocated to education.
Only four states – Enugu (32.99%), Kano (31%), Jigawa (26.4%), and Kaduna (26.14%) – met the UNESCO and Nigeria’s 26% benchmark. Additionally, Abia (20%), Nasarawa (20.43%), Oyo (21.4%), and Sokoto (25%) met the World Bank’s 20% minimum standard.
In contrast, the Federal Government allocated a mere 7.08% of its budget to education, while states like Lagos (6.93%), Delta (6.89%), and Bayelsa (6.83%) made the least allocations to education.
