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.
This finding was revealed in the World Bank’s biannual Africa Pulse Report for November.
The report underscored the 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.
The global bank said 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,” the report highlighted.
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 is spent on salaries, leaving little room for learning resources and improvements in educational infrastructure, the lender added.
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.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government and 22 of the 36 states of the country have earmarked N6.131tn of their 2025 budgets for education.
The amount allocated represents only 9.27 per cent of the N66.111tn planned for next year’s budget. This is significantly below the recommended benchmarks set by Nigeria, the World Bank, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Further, the report called for urgent action to increase education spending, improve resource allocation, and ensure that children and young people, particularly girls, have access to quality education that can equip them for future success.
The report found that an additional year of schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa increases individual incomes by 12.4 per cent, above the global average of 10 per cent, with women gaining even more at 14.5 per cent.
The World Bank urged governments to prioritize reforms in foundational literacy, skills training aligned with local economies, and programs to transition youth from education to employment.
The region’s working-age population is expected to double by 2050, presenting a unique opportunity for economic transformation if education systems are strengthened, the report said.
