Funding Tertiary Science Education in a Depressed Economy:

Challenges and Prospect in Nigeria

By
1
Saifullahi M., 2Sadiku A. SHUAIBU, 3Najib ABDULLAHI, 4Osiboye Mojishola O.,
5
Fatima A. SIDI, 6Ali SULE & 7Malilima M. Z.

1
Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna.
2
Department of Mathematics, Aminu Kano College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Kano.
3
Geography Unit, School of Preliminary Studies, Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa.
4
Department of Physics, Federal College of Education (T) Bichi, Kano.
5
Department of Science Education, Kaduna State University.
6
Department of Science Education, Saadatu Rimi University of Education, Kano.
7
Umar Ibn Ibrahim Al-Khenemi College of Science and Technology Education, Bama, Barno.

E-mail: [Link]@[Link]
Phone Number: 08083365024
______________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
This study highlighted the challenges and prospects of funding tertiary science education in a
depressed economy in Nigeria. The study noted that science education in Nigeria and its funding
problem in particular is attributed to poor handling of laboratory practical material, corrupt
leadership, and limited funding allocation, inconsistency of administrators, lack of
accountability transparency and instability of policy strategy, inadequate qualified personnel
and lack of awareness about the importance of science. The study recommended among others
that, government should provide a ways to monitor school administrators on the disbursement of
fund for effective delivery, school management should prepare budget and devise a means that
will help them in managing the funds made available by the government and percentage of
revenue generated by Federal Inland Revenue allocated to TETFund should be increased to
address major challenges encountered by Nigerian universities.

Keywords: Funding, Science Education, Depressed Economy.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_
Introduction
Science educationist must be able to lead the educational transformation of the education
systems in Nigeria to address the challenges of meeting SDGs 4 and 10 on quality education and

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reduce inequality, as well as the Africa Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want. We are committed to
leading this determination by identifying the challenges and prospect of tertiary science
education in Nigeria specifically in a depressed economy. Nationally, educational quality seems
impossible but surmountable through changes in curriculum and policy development in other to
train the 21st century students. This is in line with new Core Curriculum Minimum Academic
Standards (CCMAS) (NUC, 2023). It is imperative for Nigerian universities to continue to strive
to update their educational programmes in line with global best practices.

Science education can be defined as the study of physics, chemistry, biology and Mathematics
with teaching method in order to impart scientific knowledge to individuals or community. It is a
field of specialization concerning with two basic aims, which are the production of scientifically
interactive society and technological manpower. Science education in the area of academic and
industrial activity is the backbone of industrialization and development of any nation. The
science related disciplines that will enable the learner to have true knowledge of science and to
be able to use it in solving problem are Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Science
education are school subject that play an important role in life, they are important because they
are the basic subject for the development of many study fields such as mechanical engineering,
electronics, nuclear sciences, medicine and surgery, medical laboratory sciences, pharmacy and
digital information system. Science education presents various problems, from the simplest to the
complex ones, as well as from the macro to the micro ones. Science education contributes to the
technological infrastructure and provides trained personnel needed to take advantage of scientific
advances and discoveries (Saifullahi, 2021). It plays a major role in the area of health, economic
development, energy and environment. It generates fundamental knowledge needed for future
technological advances that will continue to drive the economic engine of the world.

Years back, core science subjects were stand-alone but overtime, science educators saw the need
to create an identity known as STEM because in the real sense of it, neither of these subjects can
work independently to serve the course of global advancement and one out of the number of
reasons for this identity is well put by Martín‐Páez, Aguilera, Perales‐Palacios & Vílchez‐
González (2019). Science which is another terminology for curiosity has placed the science
educator on a pedestal where the society constantly anticipates a lot from him as the need arises.
According to Stroupe, Moon and Michael (2019), documents like the Next Generation Scientific

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Standards (NGSS) and the framework for K-12 scientific education continue to push us with new
expectations for teaching and learning in this era of standards-based reform (National Research
Council, 2012). It therefore becomes highly crucial to support scientific educators, teacher
educators, instructors and learners as they navigate challenging new changes. This statement
highlights two important points: society’s expectation for science education and the support
needed. One of such support is the funding for science education as it is obvious that the wheels
of science education is immobile without adequate funding.

When emphasis is placed on the funding of science education, it is imperative to bring to the fore
front yet again, the importance and undeniable role played by science education. It has been said
time and time again and it can never be over emphasized that science is the bedrock of global
development and the answer to man’s societal needs and one of the most recent opportunity to
justify this claim is the covid-19 pandemic. Dillon and Avraamidou (2020) viewed that the
Covid-19 epidemic brought forth unprecedented challenges for science education in particular, as
well as for education more broadly because in ways unimaginable, just a year ago science and
scientists found themselves in the public eye as both possible saviors and as unreliable dummies
and despite that, science instructors and science education are invisible. Again, so much is
expected from science educators and much as there could be diverse reasons for the invisibility
of the said educators, funding is no doubt one key factor.

Science Education in Nigerian university has been poorly funded and this has created the
problem of inadequate standards and lack of understanding of scientific concept. Therefore, more
attention needs to be given to the teaching of science subjects, especially at the university level
in Nigeria. Presently, research findings revealed that students’ performance in the subjects have
been very low in both internal and external examinations in Nigeria due to poor funding to
procure laboratory equipment (WAEC, 2021; Gambari et al, 2013). To overcome this challenge,
there is a need for a paradigm shift from traditional methods of teaching which requires large
number of practical equipment to innovative teaching strategies using modern technological
devices that allow student to learn and perform practical activities vicariously. Fortunately,
technology has increasingly grown and infiltrated our classrooms, especially in developed
countries; new learning models that are technologically based like the e-Learning and virtual

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laboratory emerged that move away from the teacher-centered approach to a more collaborative,
student-centered learning environment which require less funding.

Media and telecommunication technology brought advancement in teaching and learning that
cannot be over-emphasized. The rapid development in computer accompanied by ease of use,
flexibility, storage effectiveness, suitability, reliability, versatility and interactive nature of the
technology as an instructional medium for individualized instruction, have attracted educators
more than any other medium ever developed as instructional delivery mode. Computers are
becoming more prevalent in education, students’ familiarity with the technology has enabled the
development of virtual reality tools. In science and engineering education, virtual laboratories
have emerged as alternative or supplementary tools of the hands-on laboratory education, for
instance, using them for preparing for the real laboratory task (Mahmoud & Zoltan, 2009).
Virtual laboratory is an interactive environment without real laboratory tools meant for creating
and conducting simulated experiments. It provides students with tools and materials set on
computer in order to perform experiments saved on CDs or on website and it has been proven to
improve students’ performance in science based subjects globally (Babateen, 2011). For
instance, Mahmoud and Zoltan (2009) found that virtual laboratory instruction improves
students’ academic achievements in science-based subjects.

Students need adequate access to new technologies which increase flexibility of teach. This
entails provision of adequate computers and/or network access, consideration of the varied needs
of different groups of learners. There is improvement in student’s accessibility to learning
technologies in Nigeria because most schools are now well equipped with adequate and
functional computers which according to Farida and Ezra (2005) are the basic requirement for
facilitating access to computer-based learning activities. Computers have increasingly become
both exercise books and textbooks for students and this makes learning through technology
easier. Barbour and Reeves (2009) were of the opinion that for virtual laboratory to meet the
educational needs, it must provide a high level of flexibility in order to ensure freedom from
constraints of time and place which hinder access.

Challenges of Funding Tertiary Science Education in Nigeria

There has been a lot of debate about cost of tertiary education in Nigeria especially on who
should bear the cost. Many individuals and corporate bodies in Nigeria have the opinion that

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university education should be financed by the government while the government on the
other hand, complain of scarce resources. The way and manner the available funds are utilized
is also an issue of concern in Nigerian universities. It is no longer news that the economic
recession in the country has greatly affected government’s monetary support for universities. It
is however worrisome that the available funds in universities are not judiciously used for
the purpose for which it is meant for. One of the Federal universities in South-West Nigeria
was shut down for over two months in 2016 and the members of staff in the University
alleged the management of mismanagement of funds which was meant to pay backlog of
certain allowances (Omobola & Success, 2019). Ogboka, Alegbe, and Bukuromo, (2021)
reported that political interference and instability in Nigerian tertiary education system has
brought about number of challenges in its funding, such as inaccurate statistical data, high
population explosion, indiscipline, corrupt leadership and diversion of funds. Tertiary science
education as part of the education is also facing so many challenges such as inadequate funding,
corruption, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of academic staff, Strike actions, brain
drain, poor research, weak administrators and insecurity (Okolo & Gregory, 2021; Niyi &
Maryam, 2022)

In term of budgetary allocation, Nigeria in six years budgeted N3.6 trillion out of N55.3 trillion
for education (Adesina, 2022). This hampered the entire educational systems of the country,
especially science education which currently requires serious attention. The under allocation to
education sector in the country brought about teaching and learning of science education in an
unfavorable condition. There is a need to increase budgetary allocation to education and a
paradigm shift in the mode of instruction from more physical classes to E-learning just to attain
the goals of teaching and learning science education in Nigeria (Sidi, Badar & Shuaibu, 2022).
The major challenges of funding tertiary education in Nigeria are highlighted below:
1. Poor handling of laboratory practical material,
2. corrupt leadership,
3. limited funding allocation
4. inconsistency of administrators,
5. Lack of accountability and instability of policy strategy.
6. Inadequate qualified personnel
7. Lack of awareness about the importance of science education in Nigeria.

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Prospects of Funding Science Education in Nigeria

Despite the challenges on the funding science education in Nigeria, here are some of the
prospects of funding science education in Nigeria. These includes:

1. There should be an encouragement of positive innovations in the area of science

education to embrace 21st century technology.
2. Universities should embrace the used of E-Learning learning environment in the teaching
and learning science.
3. Laboratory practical should be conducted using virtual laboratory instructional package
as it reduces the number of physical classes that require the use of plethora of laboratory
material and different personnel.
4. Government should initiate way to improve the quality of education through funding for
curriculum development, lecturers training and provision of adequate laboratory gadgets.
5. Cooperate and non-governmental organization should contribute to the development of
science education in Nigerian university through grants and scholarships.
6. There should be a public awareness that could address global challenges which may
result into increased funding.

Conclusion

It was concluded that science education in Nigeria and its funding problem in particular is
attributed to poor handling of laboratory practical material, corrupt leadership, and limited
funding allocation, inconsistency of administrators, lack of accountability and instability of
policy strategy, inadequate qualified personnel and lack of awareness about the importance of
science to the society.

Recommendations

1. The government should provide a ways to monitor school administrators on the

disbursement of fund for effective delivery.

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 2. School management should prepare budget and devise a means that will help them in
managing the funds made available by the government.
3. Regular contributions from non-governmental organizations and individual should be
provided to support the development of science education in Nigeria either in cash or by
building classrooms, lecture rooms and by supplying equipment.
4. Assistance should also come from international bodies such as the World Bank and
UNESCO.
5. Percentage revenue generated by Federal Inland Revenue allocated o TETFund should be
increased to address major challenges encountered by Nigerian universities.

Reference

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