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2019 Election

BudgIT decries cut in Nigeria’s health, education budgets, asks NASS to reduce its budget

BudgIT has condemned the national assembly for cutting the budget of the health and education sector while retaining its bogus monies

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Senate President Bukola Saraki, his deputy Ike Ekweremadu and Speaker Yakubu Dogara are leaders of the 8th National Assembly
National Assembly slashed the budget of the education and health sector
National Assembly slashed the budget of the education and health sector

BudgIT decries the cut in Nigeria’s health and education sector budgetary allocation to fund the 2019 elections.

Recent information from the National Assembly suggests that the 2018 budget is undergoing virement that will re-allocate the meagre resources meant to improve the condition of health and education sectors for the conduct of the 2019 elections.

The consensus is that Nigeria is under-funding the health sector – and the immediate goal of government was to raise budgetary allocation to 15 percent of total budget size.

Rather, thevirement hopes to take away N8.05 billion from the health sector.

It is disheartening that political actors will ignore the growing numbers of people losing lives due to the poor state of Nigeria’s health sector.

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The cut in the education sector allocation is also a case in point. Policies, strategies, and effective budgeting practices needed to meet the needs of students, attract qualified teachers, and develop industry-centric curriculum especially in the public education system are critical at this time.

READ: Revealed: How Atiku, PDP Dubai meeting resolved to target to Osinbajo

Nigeria’s population growth is a serious pressure point. With children under 15 years of age accounting for 45 per cent of the 186 million population, the burden of education could become overwhelming and quality which is abysmal could drop even lower.

MDAs whose funds were cut are:

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  1. Social Investment Program – N121.1bn
  2. Power, Works & Housing – N25.5bn
  3. Water Resources – N12.95bn
  4. Agriculture – N11bn
  5. Education – N10.2bn
  6. Budget &  Planning – N8.84bn
  7. Health – N8.05bn
  8. Secretary to the Government of the Federation – N6.7bn
  9. Science & Tech – N7.46bn
  10. Trade & Investment – N7.08bn
  11. Presidency – N1.24bn

According to Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Principal Lead, “the continuous apathetic attitude of government towards key sectors that impact most on human development and especially the rights of children is gradually ravaging the future of the nation. Almost everyone in government and out of government agrees that Nigeria’s education sector is poorly funded. It is thus shocking that despite the meagre allocation seen in the 2018 budget, attempts are now been made to even slash budgetary allocation to the education sector even further by N10.2 billion to fund the 2019 elections.”

Government across all levels, executive and legislature in particular have consistently demonstrated a lack of commitment to improve the life of the average Nigerian.

Priority has always been given to key areas of the budget that affect the legislature.

Nigeria’s legislative arm is one of the highest funded in the world and their budget is given a statutory priority which implies that key budgetary allocations that are pro-poor takes a back seat.

This for us at BudgIT is unacceptable and in fact a demonstration of insensitivity on the part of the legislature especially at such a time when the country is reported to be the poverty capital of the world.

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Sectoral allocation to education, health and social interventions should not be sacrificed for the elections.

Weobserved that areas within the 2018 budget need trimming like the over bloatedbudget of theNational Assembly was not touched, opine that even if the Executive made theproposal to cut critical funding to vire election expenses, the NationalAssembly should search within and apply cuts to their budget, fulfilling theirpowers within the appropriation framework. Itis thus incumbent that the virement made to the 2018 budget on certain sectorsbe rejected by all.

With currently terrible health and education indicators anda recent report by OXFAM puts Nigeria at last position out of 157 countries onthe “Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index”. We believe actions such as thisto severely cut funding in social investments are expanding the inequality gapin Nigeria and needs to be addressed.

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