Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the financial autonomy for local governments will engender growth in Nigeria’s basic education.
Back in July, the supreme court ruled that the federal government should from that time forth pay allocations directly to local government councils.
The seven-member panel held that states have persistently abused their powers by holding unto and using the funds meant for LGAs.
The panel also uncovered that state governors, were in the practice of managing local councils through caretaker committees that weren’t elected.
Consequently, the number one court in the land, directed the federal government to hold unto the allocations of LGAs who are governed by non-elected officials.
VP Shettima was in Abuja for the presentation of a book authored by Modupe Adelabu, former deputy governor of Ekiti state.
The book is titled “Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria”.
The vice-president stated that financial autonomy addresses the troubles that obstructs the alignment of LGAs with the federal agenda in education.
Shettima added that President Bola Tinubu inherited “realities that demand urgent action” in education.
He also said that the president is, however, dedicated to addressing the “inadequacies” frustrating universal education across Nigeria.
The vice-president mentioned that financial freedom for LGs will bring the government closer to the people, “providing hope for our educational initiatives”.
He, however, implored all tiers of government to focus on policies that empower “those at the forefront of implementing initiatives that inspire interest in education”.
“Many primary and secondary school-age children are still not attending or completing their education. A large portion of the youth population lacks basic literacy skills, with notable gender disparities. This is what we must overcome,” he said.
Before now, a policy think-tank implored the federal government to negotiate with states on LGA autonomy to promote cooperative federalism.