Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Oyo State have urged the state government to provide dedicated funding for girls’ education and other gender-responsive interventions in its 2027 budget, warning that the newly adopted Education Sector Plan 2026–2030 could achieve little without adequate financial commitments.
The organisations made the demand on Friday, October 30, 2026, during a news conference in Ibadan, where they called on the Oyo State Government to move beyond policy commitments and translate its education priorities into funded programmes capable of addressing inequalities across the state’s education system.
The intervention was organised under the Education Champions Network (ECN), a coalition comprising YouthHubAfrica, Onelife Initiative, ACE Charity Africa, Invictus Africa, Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi), Education as a Vaccine and the Oyo State Education Coalition.
The stakeholders said the 2027 budget would provide an important opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to improving access to quality education, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
CSOs Say Education Plan Must Be Backed by Funding
Speaking on behalf of the Education Champions Network, Tobacaleb Akanmu, Strategy and Programmes Officer at Invictus Africa, commended the Oyo State Government for developing and adopting the Education Sector Plan covering 2026 to 2030.
The plan, officially launched on October 6, 2026, establishes a five-year framework for addressing challenges affecting educational access, infrastructure, learning quality, inclusiveness and the management of the state’s education system.
Akanmu, however, stressed that the success of the framework would depend on whether its priorities were reflected in actual government spending.
He warned that adopting an education policy without providing the necessary financial resources could undermine its implementation.
According to him, the coalition’s position is that the government must ensure the 2027 budget contains clear allocations for the interventions identified in the plan.
The stakeholders also highlighted Oyo State’s adoption of a gender-responsive approach to education planning, describing it as an important step towards connecting policy priorities with practical budgetary decisions.
They maintained that the government must ensure that education spending addresses the different challenges facing girls, boys and disadvantaged learners rather than relying exclusively on general allocations.
Teacher Shortages and Out-of-School Girls Raise Concerns
The coalition raised concerns about existing inequalities and resource shortages within Oyo State’s education system.
According to figures presented by Akanmu, public schools accommodate approximately 82 per cent of the state’s estimated 2.6 million students, placing considerable pressure on government-funded educational facilities.
At the primary school level, the coalition reported a teacher-to-pupil ratio of approximately one teacher to 111 pupils.
The figure is nearly three times the UNESCO benchmark of one teacher for every 35 pupils.
The situation is reportedly more challenging in Ibadan North-West Local Government Area, where the ratio stands at approximately one teacher to 229 pupils.
The stakeholders said the figures demonstrated the need for increased investment in teacher recruitment, classroom infrastructure and other essential learning resources.
They also drew attention to the number of adolescents who remain outside the education system, particularly at the senior secondary school level.
According to the figures presented, approximately one in four adolescents of senior secondary school age in Oyo State is out of school.
Girls account for 24.7 per cent of the affected population, compared with 23.8 per cent for boys.
The difference, although relatively small, highlights the continued challenges facing girls’ education and the importance of targeted interventions to address barriers to school attendance and completion.
The coalition argued that improving educational access requires more than increasing school enrolment figures.
It said government interventions must also ensure that children remain in school, receive quality instruction and have access to safe and inclusive learning environments.
Coalition Advocates Gender-Responsive Education Budgeting
A major component of the coalition’s demand is the implementation of Gender-Responsive Education Budgeting and Spending (GREBS).
The framework is designed to ensure that government education expenditure responds to the specific needs of different categories of learners.
Rather than making broad financial allocations without clearly identifying their intended beneficiaries, gender-responsive budgeting examines the challenges affecting particular groups and directs resources towards addressing them.
According to the stakeholders, the approach requires government authorities to identify the interventions needed, determine who will benefit, establish where the needs are greatest, calculate the financial requirements and develop indicators for measuring results.
Such interventions could include improving sanitation facilities in schools to support adolescent girls, addressing economic pressures that contribute to school dropout and providing additional assistance to disadvantaged learners.
The coalition also stressed that boys facing child labour and other economic pressures should not be overlooked in efforts to promote educational equality.
Akanmu disclosed that Oyo State budget officers had already undergone training on the GREBS toolkit, providing an institutional foundation for its implementation.
The stakeholders therefore argued that the government should use the existing capacity to ensure that the framework becomes part of the state’s budget preparation and expenditure processes.
Three Major Demands for the Oyo State Government
The Education Champions Network outlined specific recommendations for the state government, education authorities and lawmakers.
First, it called on the Oyo State Ministries responsible for Education and Budget to incorporate the priorities of the Education Sector Plan into the 2027 budget.
It particularly demanded clearly identifiable gender-responsive budget lines, including a dedicated allocation for girls’ education.
The coalition said such allocations would make it easier to identify how much funding was committed to addressing educational inequalities and whether the resources were reaching their intended beneficiaries.
Second, the stakeholders called for the appointment of dedicated desk officers to coordinate and monitor the implementation of gender-responsive education planning and budgeting.
They argued that clearly assigned institutional responsibilities would improve coordination between government departments and strengthen monitoring of the interventions.
Third, the coalition urged the Oyo State House of Assembly to use its legislative, appropriation and oversight responsibilities to ensure that education spending reflected the priorities established in the five-year plan.
It said lawmakers should examine proposed education allocations during the budget approval process and monitor the implementation of approved programmes.
The organisations maintained that legislative oversight should extend beyond approving budget proposals to checking whether allocated resources were released and properly utilised.
CSOs Demand Transparency and Public Accountability
Beyond the proposed allocations, the coalition called for regular public reporting on the implementation of the Education Sector Plan.
It said the government should provide clear information distinguishing between funds announced, amounts appropriated, actual releases and expenditure.
The stakeholders also advocated reporting based on measurable and independently verifiable results.
Such information, they argued, would enable citizens, civil society organisations and development partners to assess whether government commitments were translating into improvements in schools and learning conditions.
The coalition maintained that transparency would help identify implementation gaps and strengthen public confidence in education spending.
It also called on the media to monitor the implementation of the plan and investigate how public resources were allocated and spent.
Akanmu urged journalists to look beyond government announcements and examine whether financial commitments were reaching schools, teachers and learners who needed support.
The coalition further acknowledged the contributions of the Malala Fund and other development partners involved in supporting education advocacy and planning in Oyo State.
Background: Oyo State’s Education Sector Plan 2026–2030
The Oyo State Education Sector Plan 2026–2030 was developed to provide a structured direction for improving the state’s education system over five years.
The plan was launched by the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with the Education Champions Network and supporting civil society organisations, with funding support from the Malala Fund.
It outlines strategic priorities covering access, equity, inclusiveness and gender responsiveness, infrastructure, quality and relevance of education, skills development, system management, financing and resilience.
The framework is also intended to provide a basis for monitoring progress and assessing the government’s performance against established education priorities.
Its development involved collaboration between government institutions, civil society organisations, education stakeholders and development partners.
The plan’s adoption represents an important policy milestone, but the latest demands from civil society groups highlight the financial and institutional commitments required to turn its objectives into measurable improvements.
Why the 2027 Budget Matters for Girls’ Education
The debate over education financing in Oyo State extends beyond government spending figures.
For girls who face financial difficulties, inadequate sanitation facilities, social pressures and other barriers to education, the availability of targeted public funding can influence whether they enrol, remain in school and complete their education.
Similarly, teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms can affect the quality of instruction received by children, regardless of whether they have successfully enrolled.
The coalition’s demands therefore place particular emphasis on connecting education policy with the actual circumstances facing learners.
Dedicated funding for girls’ education, improved school facilities, adequate teaching personnel and stronger accountability mechanisms could help address some of the challenges identified by the stakeholders.
However, the effectiveness of these interventions will depend on proper planning, timely release of funds and transparent monitoring.
For Oyo State, the 2027 budget will be an important test of whether the government can translate the Education Sector Plan into practical action.
What Happens Next?
The immediate focus will be on how the Oyo State Government incorporates the Education Sector Plan’s priorities into its 2027 budget proposals.
The Ministries responsible for Education and Budget are expected to consider the coalition’s recommendations, particularly the proposed dedicated allocations for girls’ education and other gender-responsive interventions.
The Oyo State House of Assembly will also have an important role in scrutinising the proposed allocations and monitoring their implementation through its legislative oversight responsibilities.
The civil society organisations have indicated that monitoring should continue beyond budget approval, with attention given to actual fund releases, expenditure and measurable improvements in educational outcomes.
The central challenge is no longer simply whether Oyo State has an education development plan, but whether the resources and accountability structures required to implement it will be provided.
For millions of learners across the state, particularly girls and children from disadvantaged communities, the outcome could have lasting implications for their educational opportunities.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), via Peoples Gazette – Stakeholders Urge Oyo Govt to Prioritise Education Funding in 2027 Budget, October 30, 2026.
- Vanguard – Oyo Stakeholders Demand Gender-Responsive Education Funding in 2027 Budget, November 1, 2026.
- The Guardian Nigeria – Malala Fund, YouthHubAfrica Back Oyo’s Plan as Report Reveals 2.77m Students in 10,624 Schools, October 10, 2026.
- Punch – Stakeholders Laud Oyo Education Plan, October 12, 2026.
- Oyo State Government – Official information on education and equality initiatives.
