Nigeria’s basic education sector is facing renewed scrutiny over the failure of governments to utilise available funds, with billions of naira reportedly left unspent while millions of children continue to struggle with poor learning conditions and inadequate educational facilities.
As of August 2026, approximately ₦267 billion in education funds remained unspent, while states had yet to access more than ₦65 billion in counterpart funding, according to figures disclosed by the Federal Government.
The situation has raised concerns about accountability and the priorities of government officials, particularly as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) estimates that 70 per cent of primary school pupils cannot read and understand basic texts.
The figures highlight a troubling contradiction: resources intended to improve education are available, yet many schools continue to lack qualified teachers, adequate classrooms, learning materials and essential facilities.
Billions Unaccessed Despite Urgent Needs
The problem of unspent education funds is not new. Historical figures released by UBEC show that states left behind billions of naira in counterpart funding over several years.
Between 2020 and 2023, unaccessed funds reportedly rose from ₦1.4 billion in 2020 to ₦2.8 billion in 2021, ₦14.4 billion in 2022 and ₦36.1 billion in 2023.
Some states reportedly struggled to access additional allocations because they could not satisfactorily account for previous funds.
The development has raised questions about the effectiveness of existing monitoring systems and the consequences for governments that fail to meet their financial obligations or properly utilise money earmarked for education.
Although the Federal Government and UBEC have taken steps to encourage the use of available funds, concerns persist over whether such interventions will translate into lasting improvements in schools.
Infrastructure Projects Offer Some Relief
There have been efforts to deploy previously unused allocations towards educational infrastructure.
In July 2026, UBEC Executive Secretary Aisha Garba disclosed that approximately ₦100 billion had been deployed to revive educational infrastructure across states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The interventions reportedly included the construction of more than 4,600 classrooms, renovation of over 6,100 classrooms, provision of 2,780 toilets and installation of 678 boreholes.
The Federal Government has also received support through the World Bank-funded Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity programme, which targets improvements in learning quality, school infrastructure and teacher capacity.
The programme is designed to reach millions of children and hundreds of thousands of teachers, alongside investments in classrooms and non-formal learning centres.
However, the scale of Nigeria’s education crisis means that such interventions must be sustained and accompanied by stronger accountability measures.
Teacher Shortages Worsen the Crisis
Beyond funding and infrastructure, the shortage of teachers remains a major challenge.
UBEC reported in 2025 that Nigeria had approximately 915,913 teachers serving 31.77 million pupils in public and private primary schools, resulting in a national average of about 35 pupils per teacher.
The situation is reportedly more difficult in underserved communities, where inadequate staffing and poor facilities continue to affect the quality of learning.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers also reported that 17 states had not recruited teachers between 2018 and 2022, raising concerns about workforce planning and the ability of schools to meet pupils’ needs.
Without adequate numbers of trained teachers, improved buildings and access to learning materials, additional funding alone may not deliver the expected results.
Millions of Children Remain Out of School
Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis adds another layer to the problem. UNESCO has put the number of children excluded from education in the country at more than 18.3 million.
Northern Nigeria carries a significant share of this burden, with poverty, insecurity, inadequate school infrastructure and social barriers contributing to low enrolment in some communities.
Even among children who attend school, learning conditions remain a concern. Overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated buildings, inadequate sanitation and pupils learning without desks continue to affect many public schools.
In some communities, parents, parent-teacher associations and old students have been forced to raise funds to repair classrooms, provide facilities and support the recruitment of teachers.
While these contributions demonstrate community commitment, they cannot replace the responsibility of governments to provide accessible and quality basic education.
Calls for Greater Accountability
The controversy over unspent funds has renewed calls for federal and state governments to make education a more prominent budgetary priority.
Governors are being urged to meet their counterpart-funding obligations, ensure that eligible grants are accessed promptly and provide transparent accounts of how public money is spent.
The Federal Government is also expected to strengthen monitoring, publish accessible information on fund utilisation and ensure that administrative delays do not prevent resources from reaching schools.
Beyond funding, education experts and stakeholders have repeatedly stressed the importance of recruiting qualified teachers, improving working conditions, supplying learning materials and measuring progress through actual learning outcomes rather than the number of buildings constructed.
Some states have announced substantial budgetary commitments to education, but the impact of those allocations will ultimately depend on implementation and measurable improvements in teaching and learning.
Nigeria’s education crisis is therefore not simply a question of how much money is available. It is also about whether governments can convert those resources into functioning schools, capable teachers and better opportunities for children.
With millions of pupils struggling to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, leaving education funds unused represents a missed opportunity to improve the country’s human capital and long-term economic prospects.
