The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, has warned that Nigeria’s allocation of 7% of its national budget to education is grossly inadequate, falling short of UNESCO’s recommended 15–20%.

Speaking at the 13th Convocation Lecture of Nile University, Abuja, titled “Redefining the Nigerian Education System for the 21st Century Workforce,” Echono stressed that the country must significantly increase funding to equip institutions with digital tools, modern laboratories, and qualified instructors.

Citing Rwanda and Kenya, which allocated 18% and 16% of their budgets to education in 2021, he noted that higher investment translated into measurable educational progress.

Echono also highlighted the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s curriculum to meet global labour standards.

“Current curricula, especially at the secondary and tertiary levels, do not reflect 21st-century job market demands. Integrating digital literacy, entrepreneurship, technical skills, and subjects such as AI, data science, renewable energy,