THE POOR STATE OF INFRASTRUCTURES IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA.

 Education is one of the key elements and the essential of life pursuits that every parent and the larger society envisaged for their children and the country at large. Education as we all know builds the intellectual abilities, develops the minds of learners, shapes  and refines the general character and behaviours of an individual for the better. This critical component is essential for human development that translates into economic, social and political development of any nation. In Nigeria, past and present government administration has made concerted efforts towards the development of the educational system in Nigeria, most especially at the basic educational level. The introduction of the universal basic education commission (UBEC) in 1999 by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar millitary regime at the federal level as the commission saddled with the responsibilities of the development of basic education system in Nigeria. The scheme was introduced with the aim of providing free, universal basic education for every Nigerian child between the ages of 6 and 15 years. At the state level, the state universal basic education board (SUBEB) are saddled with the responsibilities of the development of state owned public basic educational schools in Nigeria. Also in addition to these regulatory bodies, are in place to oversee the affairs of the educational sector in Nigeria which are the federal and state ministry of education saddled with the responsibilities of the development of both the federal and state owned public basic educational schools in Nigeria respectively.

A TYPICAL CLASSROOM SETTING OF PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA. STUDENTS SITS ON THE FLOOR WITH NO BENCHES.

GOAL 4 (QUALITY EDUCATION) OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) TO BE ACHIEVABLE IN NIGERIA BY 2030.

All these government institutions mentioned above have one way or the other neglected their constitutional responsibilities either through their actions or inactions towards the development of basic education schools in Nigeria. Taking a trip to any public primary and secondary schools in any remote area or urban centres in Nigeria the story are the same, what you will see as an academic institutions will shock you to your bone marrow and you will be amazed at the level of infrastructural rots and decay of these government owned pubic basic education schools. The high degree of dilapidation and the deplorable condition of the basic infrastructures in these schools calls for serious government interventions. The infrastructural decays in these schools are so glaring from fall off ceilings to broken windows and doors, and blown off roofs, the lists can go on and on. The situation is so pathetic and worrisome, and calls for urgent attention and intervention by the relevant stakeholders to save the pupils and students of these schools from this quagmire. A greater number of schools at the basic educational level in Nigeria lacks the necessary infrastructures to aid effective teaching and learning environment to enhance academic performance. These infrastructures includes lack of adequate teaching aid materials for teachers, low subventions for heads of basic education schools, lack of functional library, poor latrine system (toilets), in some cases no availability at all, lack of access to borehole water supply, lack of benches and desks for students and pupils alike. The continuous neglects in repairing and fixing these educational institutions to be what it supposed to be by the relevant educational stakeholders in Nigeria has created an abode and a breeding ground for wildlifes and reptiles such as snakes, scorpions and rodents, endangering the lives of learners and putting their lives in a very greater risks of snake and scorpion bites. Due to these neglects, most of these academic institutions are now safe havens and hideouts for criminals and miscreants who uses most of these schools as meet up place for smoking indian hemp and the sales of marijuana.

A CROSS SECTION OF STUDENTS SITTING ON THE FLOOR TO RECIEVE CLASSES IN PUBLIC BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA.

THE UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF ACTION ( 8 YEARS LEFT) BY 2030.

In September 2015, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development was adopted by the United Nations (UN) and world leaders at an historic UN summit in New York, USA. Also in 2019, world leaders called for a decade of action and delivery for sustainable development and pledged to mobilize financing, enhance national implementation and strengthen institutions to achieve the goals by the target year of 2030, leaving no one behind. Quality education which is goal 4 and one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) must be achievable by 2030 in Nigeria and all over the world. Can we beat our chest as an institution, government or as a nation and boldly say that Nigeria will achieve all these goals and goal 4 (quality education) in particular at the basic education level by the target year 2030? Your guess is as good as mine.

THE WAY FORWARD:

The Nigerian government, ministries, departments, agencies (MDA's) and other relevant stakeholders have a great duty to play and to carryout their statutory responsibilities to fund basic education in particular which is the foundation of all academic learning in Nigeria and the educational sector in general. The government and the educational stakeholders should demonstrate high level of  political will towards the development of basic education in Nigeria and should be  responsive and proactive in tackling the infrastructural deficits and decay in basic education level in Nigeria to enhance sustainable development in basic education and to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 (quality education) in Nigeria by 2030.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, activist, media and communication strategist, freelance journalist, grassroot social mobilizer and a global citizen. He is the program manager, media and communications of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP) an organic, voluntary, youth focused and a think-tank non-governmental organization based in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A Higher National Dipolma graduate (HND) in Public Administration (Upper Credit) from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. He holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). Enobong Ekwere works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and (SDG 4, quality education) in particular, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of quality education, good governance and democracy, accountability in government, freedom of information, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs and SDG4 in particular so that no community and youth in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large would be left behind. CYPLP works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria. He can be reached via:

Tel/WhatsApp: +2347082558952

Email: julyenobong2020@gmail.com

           : enobongekwere825@gmail.com

Website: www.cyplp.net.ng