Cleric urges increased education funding

The Bishop of the Diocese of Ife, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Olubunmi Akinlade, has called for increased investment in Nigeria’s education sector, warning that funding students alone without adequate support for lecturers would not address the system’s challenges.

Akinlade made the call during the 3rd Session of the 12th Synod, where he acknowledged recent efforts by the Federal Government to expand access to higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

He noted that billions of naira had been disbursed to support indigent students, commending the initiative, but cautioned that the intervention would yield limited results if lecturers remained poorly funded.

He said, “If you fund the students to go to school and the lecturers are underfunded, you have not solved the problem. More has to be done for those who teach the students so that they can deliver quality education.”

The cleric lamented the declining status and remuneration of university lecturers in Nigeria, recalling a period when the profession attracted some of the country’s brightest minds and commanded widespread respect.

He also raised concerns over the growing wave of brain drain in the education sector, noting that many lecturers have relocated abroad in search of better opportunities, for higher wages.

To address the trend, Akinlade urged the government to prioritise improved remuneration and working conditions for academic staff, alongside sustained investment in infrastructure and learning resources.

He further criticised the level of funding allocated to education, noting that the 2026 budget allocation of 6.1 per cent falls short of the 15-20 per cent benchmark recommended by UNESCO.

The bishop also called for sustained efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country through consistent education policies.

Akinlade highlighted interventions by the Diocese of Ife, including scholarship and bursary schemes for indigent students.

According to him, the diocese currently supports over 30 students at its institution, Divine Royal College, and provides bursaries for about 10 students in tertiary institutions.

He disclosed that the initiative costs between N4m and N5m annually and is open to students regardless of religious affiliation.

“We said money will not deter them from having the education they need,” he added.

The bishop reiterated the need for a holistic approach to reforming the education sector, combining student support with adequate funding for teachers to improve learning outcomes.

He also appealed to the Osun State Government to return mission schools taken over from the church, calling for the restoration of their original standards.

Akinlade urged the government to renovate the facility, which it described as dilapidated and in urgent need of intervention.