The death of former President Muhammadu Buhari on July 13, 2025, has reopened debates about his administration’s legacy, particularly in the education sector. Buhari, who ruled Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, repeatedly pledged to prioritize education during his tenure. However, an in-depth review of his administration’s actions shows a glaring gap between promises and delivery, especially in terms of budgetary allocations. Despite his verbal commitment to improve the sector, many of the challenges that plagued Nigeria’s education system before his tenure persisted and in some cases, worsened under his leadership.
During his campaign and early presidency, Buhari made several public assurances about transforming education in Nigeria. He promised to increase funding for education, resolve long-standing disputes with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), improve the quality of both primary and secondary education, and introduce social programs such as daily school feeding for public primary pupils to encourage enrolment and reduce the out-of-school children crisis. Unfortunately, most of these promises either stalled midway or never materialized fully.
Perhaps the most significant area of failure was the issue of budgetary allocations. Buhari’s administration consistently fell short of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommendation, which stipulates that nations should allocate between 15% to 20% of their total annual budget to education. Throughout his eight years in office, Buhari’s government never budgeted even 10% for education, leaving the sector underfunded and struggling.
A close analysis of federal budgets from 2016 to 2023 highlights a troubling trend of declining financial commitment to education. In 2015, just before Buhari assumed office, the education sector received N483 billion, accounting for 10.8% of the total national budget. However, in Buhari’s first full budget year 2016 the figure dropped to 7.93%. This marked the beginning of a steady decline that would characterize his administration’s approach to educational funding.
In 2017, the situation worsened, with the government allocating only 6.12% of the national budget to education. This represented a significant drop from the previous year’s figure, raising concerns among stakeholders and civil society groups. Yet, the government continued on this trajectory, failing to heed calls for increased investment in the sector. Many analysts argue that this consistent underfunding contributed directly to the repeated industrial actions by university unions and the deteriorating state of public schools across the country.
In 2018, there was a slight improvement when N651 billion was allocated to education, translating to 7.14% of the national budget. However, this progress was short-lived. By 2019, the allocation had decreased again to 7.11%, with N634 billion earmarked for the sector. This pattern of marginal gains followed by further reductions became a hallmark of Buhari’s education policy, reflecting a lack of sustained commitment.
The downward slide continued in 2020 when the administration allocated N607 billion to education, representing about 5.74% of the total budget. This occurred despite the growing public outcry over poor infrastructure, inadequate learning facilities, and the perennial strikes that crippled Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Critics argued that the government’s spending priorities failed to reflect the importance of education in national development.
In 2021, the federal government again reduced the percentage allocated to education, approving N771.46 billion, which accounted for just 5.29% of the national budget. The slight increase in absolute figures did not translate to a meaningful improvement, as the allocation remained grossly inadequate when compared to Nigeria’s population size and educational needs. Universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education continued to suffer from poor funding, leading to low staff morale and decaying infrastructure.
The 2022 budget followed the same trend, with N900 billion allocated to education. Although this amount appeared large in nominal terms, it only represented about 5.26% of the total national budget. Observers noted that inflation and the depreciating value of the naira further eroded the real value of this allocation, leaving the sector in a critical state of disrepair.
By 2023, in Buhari’s final year in office, education’s share of the national budget dropped to its lowest point under his administration 4.95%. This figure shocked many Nigerians, as it signaled the administration’s diminishing focus on education despite its repeated rhetoric about the sector being a priority. At the same time, the government continued to allocate significantly higher percentages to recurrent expenditures, defense, and debt servicing.
Throughout Buhari’s tenure, the consistent underfunding of education had far-reaching consequences. Nigeria remained one of the countries with the highest number of out-of-school children globally. Primary and secondary schools in rural areas were plagued by inadequate facilities, lack of teaching materials, and overcrowded classrooms. These challenges hampered learning outcomes and contributed to the country’s growing education crisis.
While the former president did implement a school feeding program in some states and launched initiatives such as the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, these interventions were often plagued by corruption allegations, inconsistencies, and administrative bottlenecks. The broader systemic issues in the education sector, especially funding, were left largely unresolved throughout his eight years in office.
As Nigeria reflects on Buhari’s passing, the legacy of his education policies remains controversial. On one hand, he promised reforms and raised public expectations. On the other hand, his administration left behind an education system that many consider to be in worse shape than it was before his tenure began. The gap between policy promises and actual budgetary commitments is a stark reminder of the need for future leaders to match words with action, especially in a sector as vital as education.
