A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Oyo State Government to back its newly adopted Education Sector Plan 2026–2030 with adequate funding and specific budgetary provisions in the 2027 fiscal year.
The coalition made the demand on Friday during a press conference in Ibadan, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the Strategy and Programmes Officer of Invictus Africa, Tobacaleb Akanmu, applauded the state government for adopting the five-year education framework but stressed the need for effective implementation.
NewsclickNG reports that the Oyo State Government officially unveiled its Education Sector Plan 2026–2030 in October 2026 as part of efforts to improve the state’s education system.
The plan was launched at the Ibadan Business School, Bodija, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in partnership with education stakeholders and civil society organisations, with financial support from the Malala Fund.
It seeks to improve teaching and learning, widen access to education and tackle inequalities affecting learners across the state.
However, Akanmu urged the government to address persistent challenges, including unequal access to education, poor infrastructure, teacher shortages and barriers to inclusive learning, particularly for girls and other vulnerable students.
He said, “Oyo has emerged among the pioneering states in Nigeria to directly connect its structural education priorities with gender-responsive operational budgeting. The real value of the initiative would be determined by the resources committed to its implementation.
“The government must not allow the plan to become another policy document without corresponding financial commitments. A plan is only as strong as the budget behind it.
“The real test of this plan begins with the 2027 budget. The government should ensure that its commitments are reflected in identifiable budgetary provisions capable of delivering measurable improvements across the education sector.”
The coalition also raised concerns over the rising number of children and adolescents who are out of school, disclosing that approximately one in four adolescents of senior secondary school age in Oyo State are not enrolled in school.
Data presented by the group showed that female adolescents were slightly more affected, with 24.7 per cent out of school, compared with 23.8 per cent of males.
The figures, according to the coalition, highlight the need for specific measures to tackle gender-related challenges limiting access to education.
Akanmu further noted that the state had made progress in preparing its institutions for the implementation of the plan, revealing that budget officers had received specialised training on the Gender-Responsive Education Budgeting and Spending (GREBS) toolkit.
“Because the state’s budget officers have already undergone specialised training on the GREBS toolkit, the institutional capacity for full implementation is readily available,” he said.
The coalition called for the full adoption of GREBS, describing the framework as a vital tool for ensuring that government spending addresses the different educational needs of girls, boys and disadvantaged groups.
It said, “GREBS provides a practical framework for moving away from generalised budgetary allocations towards targeted spending that responds to the specific circumstances and needs of learners in different communities.
“Such interventions could include providing adequate and dedicated sanitation facilities to prevent poor hygiene conditions from discouraging adolescent girls from attending school, as well as addressing child labour and economic pressures that expose boys to educational disruption and early disengagement from the classroom.
“We therefore call on the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration with the state’s budget authorities, to incorporate the plan’s priority targets into the 2027 budget, with clear and dedicated budget lines for girls’ education and other gender-responsive interventions.”
The Oyo State Education Sector Plan 2026–2030 outlines seven major areas requiring intervention, including access, equity and inclusivity; infrastructure and facilities; quality and relevance; system management; resourcing; and resilience and emergency response.
The coalition comprises Invictus Africa and the Education Champions Network.
