Local Government and Primary Education in Nigeria: An Overview

Abstract

Local government in Nigeria has constitutional responsibility in primary education; also, the state and federal government attend to all levels of education, including the primary education. Over the years, local and state governments have constituted the real actors in Nigeria primary education sector through the instrumentality of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and Local Government Education Authority (LGEA). Constitutionally and financially, local governments remain major actors in primary education, but practically, it is SUBEB who manage schools through LGEA with little or no consultation to local government council, regardless of their huge contributions. The paper intends to look at these challenges and reemphasis the contribution of Local government to Primary Education. Using the secondary method of data collection in form of content analysis, the paper revealed that Local government has contributed immensely to the functioning of primary education, both in mandatory and concurrent capacities with the state government especially in payments of teacher’s salary and allowances, provision of instructional materials, provision of classrooms and other infrastructures needed for the smooth running of primary education in Nigeria. The paper concluded that local governments remain the major actor and provider of primary education in Nigeria.

Key Words: Primary Education, Local Government, UBEC, SUBEB, LGEA