FG Cuts N59 Million From Internet Budget Of Universities Despite Burden of COVID-19

One of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy of various nations is a call for the revision of the budgetary allocation for the year 2020. In Nigeria, the revision of the 2020 appropriation budget is not just to accommodate the economic reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to budget based on a realistic oil price benchmark that reflects the dwindling oil price. 

In the revision of the budget, the federal government showed an average level of commitment to health and security sectors by leaving the overhead cost of the ministry of health and defense headquarters untouched. However, on the part of the education sector, the cut in budget allocation for internet access of different institutions shows no commitment to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. 

N5. 9million was cut from the amount budgeted for internet access of some institutions under the federal ministry of health. These institutions include the National Institute for Education Planning and Administration, Federal Ministry of Education headquarters, National Commission for College Education secretariat, and the Computer Registration Council of Nigeria amongst others. For universities, N39.8 million was cut from the budget for internet access, while for a combination of polytechnics and colleges of education, N19.5 million was cut. 

A total of N65.3 million was cut from the N212.8million budgeted for internet access in universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, and 11 other educational agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education. 

5.9 million naira was cut from the N18.9 million budget by the 11 educational agencies for internet access.  N39.8 million was cut from the  N132.1 million budgeted by 20 universities for internet access. On the other hand, N19.5 million was cut from the N61.7million budgeted by polytechnics and colleges of education for internet access 

The question that remains unanswered is how the N65.3 million cut from the internet access budget of institutions and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education is the best option for national development in this era of COVID-19 and digital learning. The said amount that was cut from the budget for internet access is not even up to the amount that would be gotten when the N27 billion budgeted for the renovation of the NASS complex is divided into four hundred portions.

The Health, Security, and Education sectors of Nigeria have suffered a lot of decline pre-COVID-19. A good percentage of the decline in the healthcare sector can be attributed to lack of investments with proper monitoring and evaluation in primary health care. The decline in the security sector is a result of incessant terrorist activities in the north, intertribal and farmers-herders’ clashes,  and growing crime rate. On the part of the education sector, many assert that the sector is losing its relevance due to a lack of government investment in human capital development and infrastructural developments in the sector. 

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has not spared any of these sectors as it threatens to worsen their rate of decline. For the Health sector, every healthcare facility is at risk of accomodating a patient with coronavirus symptoms without being aware. This calls for proper measures and the right facility to accommodate temporary or permanently impending cases of coronavirus. In the Security sector, the compulsion of Nigerians to sit at home without palliatives and a possible source of income is likely to push a lot of persons to result to crime as a means of earning a living. The Education sector is one of the most affected sectors in the wake of the corona pandemic. The pandemic has made the federal government to temporarily close educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.  

The threats of the COVID-19 to these sectors that are relevant to national development makes it necessary for the sectors to be run with adequate resources. As such, retaining the total overhead costs of these sectors, will not be too much.

With limited broadband in Nigeria, there is hardly enough that can be spent on data consumption for an individual, talk less of institutions of education. Educational institutions are meant to be the hub of research, development, and technology advancement for the purpose of industrialization.   Lack of internet access could lead to education breakdown in this coronavirus era. 

Students across the world are losing valuable time in their education during the imposed lockdown amidst fears of a pandemic. With no known time when the pandemic is going to be over, the closest thing to continuing the process of education is an investment in e-learning. E-learning is greatly powered by internet access. 

Although in response to significant demand for e-learning globally, many online learning platforms are offering free access to their services, some institutions and individuals without adequate internet access and/or technology will struggle to participate in the digital learning. 

The federal government should, as a matter of interest in the education sector, leave the budget for internet access by various educational institutions untouched.  Although there is no doubt that the figures in the budget for internet access might have been doctored by education institutions for the purpose of personal enrichment, the full allocation of these funds without revision would be a good way to show commitment to revitalizing the education sector, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts could also be made to effectively monitor and evaluate the use of this budget fund when disbursed. 

The effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic seem to be very unpredictable. Since no one knows when the pandemic will be over, an investment in the education sector that would see traditional offline and online learning go hand in hand, is highly required. Who knows, the move to online learning could be the catalyst to create a new, more effective method of educating students in Nigeria. 

Global events are known to bring about rapid innovations. The advent of e-commerce in the wake of the SARS is a typical example. The coronavirus is an opportunity to key into the global dynamics of e-learning.

Nigeria must not always be decades behind in technology advancement.