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achievements indicates that government school students have noticeably low scores. At the
same time, across the country, quality in terms of adequacy of inputs varies across states and
geopolitical zones. This indicates a serious need for a review of the supply of various quality
input factors and basic education delivery strategies. Conflict and insecurity is also negatively
affecting affect educational access, infrastructure and other quality inputs. However, the quality
of education in zones that are not affected by widespread violence, such as northwest zone, is
also remarkably low.
Second, serious attention needs to be given to resource mobilization for the provision of quality
education to the poor. Critical attention should also be given to how resources are allocated and
utilized. Financial constraints affect the ability of the government to provide free quality
education for every Nigerian child. Increased funding is required in the aspects of funding of key
quality inputs such as teacher supply, training and equipment of teachers and supply of learning
materials. Studies reviewed mention financial shortfalls as a major reason for the low quality
inputs. Both the literature and significant proportion of respondents pointed out the need to
give attention to the provision of requisite infrastructure and teacher development. Manpower
development needs to be supplemented with provision of teaching materials while engaging the
government to judiciously use the UBE funds to provide educational infrastructures.
Besides, there is also need to prioritize what is provided with limited available resources, where
and how they are provided. The UBEC reports emphasize that many states have not been able
to access the UBE fund often due to their inability to meet conditions for accessing the funds.
Various observers have highlighted how corruption and misappropriation of fund contribute to
affect states capacity to provide quality education for the poor. These make it necessary for
interventions in the provision of quality basic education to also take into account the funding
environment and seek for ways to create enabling environment for sustainable funding and
prudent utilization of the earmarked basic education funds.
Third, institutionalization of regular nationwide learning assessment is an urgent need in
Nigeria’s basic education sector. As explained in the learning outcome section, nationwide
learning assessment is lacking at the basic education level. The existing state level examinations
are not largely available to the public for comparison. To understand the quality issues across
the states, there is need for publicly available information on pupils performances in state-level
examinations at the basic education sub-sector. The state-level exams also need to be
harmonized to ensure that students in every state take similar examinations and the results of
the examinations can be compared to understand locations where additional quality related
interventions are required.
It is also necessary to institutionalize regular and nationwide learning assessment at various
levels in Nigeria to help in monitoring of teaching and learning outcomes, through the
establishment of regular and systematic assessment system at the basic education level.
Similarly, there exists an extant need to harmonize education data and evaluation system.
Existing data on students’ performance vary and do not measure similar issues across years,
levels and locations. It is also necessary for independent evaluations like Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to be introduced into the
country and the existing ones like LearnNigeria be expanded to every state.