The World Bank has said that the Sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, are grappling with a substantial education funding gap, spending an average of only $54 per student, compared to $8,500 in high-income countries.
The World Bank said in its biannual Africa Pulse Report for November that there was stark disparity in education spending between Sub-Saharan Africa and wealthier nations, emphasising that, despite recent increases in investment, funding levels continue to fall short of meeting both national and global education objectives.
This underinvestment in education is compounded by a lack of essential resources, including textbooks, teaching materials, and technology, which further hinder learning outcomes.
It added that in Sub-Saharan Africa, a girl growing up today will have attended school for an average of just eight years by the time she turns 18, compared to 13 years in high-income countries.
“Today, schools still often lack essential resources like textbooks, teaching materials, and technology, or do not use them effectively. Despite recent increases in education spending, current spending levels are not enough to meet national and global education goals: in 2021, 29 low-income countries (most of them in Africa) spent an average of only $54 per student, whereas high-income countries spent around $8,500 per student,” local media reports on Tuesday quoted the World Bank report as saying.
The report also revealed the disparity in total spending on education, with governments in high-income countries investing approximately $117,000 per student by age 18, compared to just $1,900 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The bulk of Sub-Saharan African education budgets, according to the report, is spent on salaries, leaving little room for learning resources and improvements in educational infrastructure, the World Bank said.
The World Bank warned that this education shortfall threatens the region’s economic future. Sub-Saharan Africa, home to a rapidly growing population, faces a unique opportunity to transform its education systems and capitalize on its youth demographic.
“However, unless substantial investments are made to close this funding gap, the region risks falling behind in terms of economic growth and human capital development,” it added.
GIK/APA