An
inquiry into the fiscal operations and developments of Nigeria revealed that
federal government expenditure on education is categorized under the social and
community services sector. The implication is that education is an impure
public good (Orubu, 1989).
The
importance of education is reminiscent in its role as a means of understanding,
controlling, altering and redesigning of human environment (CBN, 2000).
Education also improves health, productivity and access to paid employment
(Anyanwu et al., 1999). Education has a link with economic development. As once
remarked by Ola (1998: 14) “If you see any economy that is not doing well, find
out what is spent on education”. Psacharopoulos (1973), Combs (1985) and
Aboribo (1999) have all revealed that increase in national income and per capita
income is a function of education and that differences among nations can better
be explained by differences in the endowments of human, rather than physical
capital. This underscores the reason why the ‘Asian Tigers’ in the past three
decades allocated between 25-35% of their annual budgets to their education
sector (Aboribo, 1999: 61).
In
most developing countries, improving the widening access to education
especially basic education is a cardinal objective of their governments.
Education is seen as a right and responsibility to be guaranteed to all generations
(Anyanwu et al., 1999). However, in Nigeria, elements of uncertainty have
beclouded the sector in nominal and real terms. As noted by the Office of the
Honourable Minister, Economic
Matters (FRN, 2000:
52) “schools at all levels lacked teachers and basic infrastructure. The
schools suffer from over-crowding, poor sanitation, poor management, and poor
intra-sectoral allocation”. Other features are abandoned capital projects,
inadequate funding, poor conditions of service etc. These most time led to
closure of schools and strikes. The attendant and composite effects are poor
quality of teaching and poor quality of products.