NIGERIA: Need for more transparency in Education

Pupils in a class without facilities

A seasoned governance and human development expert, Dr Otive Igbuzor has identified lack of monitoring, accountability and transparency in the system, as the major factors militating against the progress of the nation's waning education sector and called for a holistic and well-thought-out approach to reverse the trend.

Igbuzor who made this known at a one-day parley with Correspondents and Media Executives in Kaduna Nigeria, spoke extensively on the root causes of corruption, the need for probity in the education sector, budget analysis as well as education as key to human development.

The one-day sensitization program put together by Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW/LEADS) alongside Mac Arthur Foundation, harped on 'enhancing reportage on Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) projects in the state as well as Public Procurement Process in the sector' to strengthen accountability and transparency in the education sector.

Igbuzor reasoned that before sanity could return to the troubled education sector, qualified and visionary leaders with outstanding leadership and management skills must be brought on board to innovate and make education research-driven and technologically oriented.

Also speaking, Executive Director, Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women, Barrister Rebecca Sako-John, stressed that since education plays a key role to the attainment of high positive outcomes in economic growth, good health and social justice, she is pleased to partner with the esteemed Mac Arthur Foundation to promote education in all its ramifications.

"Between 2017 and 2020 - our project duration- we are focusing on 20 schools annually in three local government areas of Chikun, Soba and Kaura. Also, we are working day and night to strengthen access to information on governance and administration of education projects to decrease the risk of leakages and corruption in the administration and use of UBEC funds in Kaduna state", the executive director explained.

While calling on the media to leverage on existing platforms towards deepening its efforts in investigative reporting, she urged practitioners to focus more on service delivery not service provision.

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