House of Representatives sticks to Pledge on Improving Service Delivery in Education Sector

House of Representatives (HoR) under Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila has continued to push for reforms in the education sector in a bid to improve the general quality of the sector, honoring their pledge in the ‘Revised Legislative Agenda Meter” to improve the general quality of service delivery in the education sector.

In its Revised Legislative Agenda, the House of Representatives had prioritized “improving the general quality of service delivery in the education sector” as one of its long-term priorities in the education sector. The legislators have keyed into this commitment with legislative support, interventions,  bills, and most recently the National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform.

“The most consequential decisions we make in government are those that will ensure the vast population of young people in our country are educated and adequately equipped to participate productively in the modern global economy,” said Hon. Gbajabiamila while announcing the national summit.

“To achieve this, we must ask and answer complex questions about the operating structure of our public tertiary institutions, sustainable funding, education quality, and access,” Gbajabiamila continued.

Promise: improving the general quality of service delivery in the education sector

The education summit organized by the House of Representatives brought together all stakeholders including Nigeria’s minister of education, vice chancellors, provosts, legislators, policymakers, and stakeholders in the country’s education. The speaker also noted that the submissions and recommendations from the summit will be transformed into an action plan which the legislators act upon before the end of the 9th assembly.

During the summit the Speaker of the House of Representative(HoR) reiterated the importance education plays in today’s society by acknowledging the gap in Nigeria’s education system. He said  “We must provide the resources to modernise and improve our education infrastructure and provide the right training for young people from primary through tertiary education. This goes to the heart of our survival as a nation and as a people. I say that because I believe our country will not survive long if our children cease to believe their best dreams are possible here. “

In 2019, the speaker of the House of Representatives sponsored a bill titled “Students Loan Access to Higher Education Bill” to provide access to education financing for students who qualify. The bill has been passed by the green chamber and has been passed to the senate for concurrence.

The move by the Gbajabiamila-led House of Representatives has also been commended by stakeholders in the education sector.  “On behalf of the federal ministry of education, I extend all my sincere appreciation to the Right Honourable Speaker, Femi Gbajabimila, and his team for passionately intervening in the face-off with ASUU and organizing this summit which I believe is a continuation of the speaker’s commitment to ensure that the legislature contributes to creating a stable environment for our tertiary education sector,” said Goodluck Nana Opia, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education during the summit held in Abuja in November 2022.

We, therefore, rate this Promise Kept.