Sahelia countries are committed to increasing the role of education in public spending

(Agence Ecofin) – In Sahel, budgets for education are lower than the African average. Knowing that this situation compromises broad access to education, the leaders of the countries of the region have checked a roadmap, one of which protects the increase of the National Fund for Education.

The G5 Sahel countries adopted the “Nouveau Declaration on Education” at the Sahel Education Summit on December 5 in Mauritania.

The leaders promised at the end of this meeting “Increase the share of education in public spending and GDP to reach the average size of sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, while at the same time striving to improve the efficiency and quality of these expenditures.”, Stated in the final report of the meeting.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the evolution of gross domestic product (GDP) is increasing, but budgets allocated to education are not really keeping pace. They average 4.6% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa and less than 20% of the national budget.

Although this average is in line with UNESCO’s recommended allocation (4 to 6% of GDP or 15 to 20% of public spending), some countries in the region lag behind, similar to those in Sahel. According to statistics, public spending on education in Mauritania will be 1.9% in 2020, 3.5% in Niger, 3.4% in 2019, 3.4% in Mali and 3.4% in 2019.

At the Nouakchott meeting, it was not only about raising funds, but also about taking a side in education policy that supports access to education for all. Sahel’s leaders have set a map for the next ten years to better prioritize and integrate policies and investments in the education sector. Ultimately, the strategy makes it possible to increase productivity and employment, which will lead to better results in terms of health, the functioning of public institutions and the maintenance of peace.

Moreover, two important resolutions were passed. On the one hand, it includes prioritizing and financing measured objectives to reduce learning poverty, promote greater participation of women in secondary education, and strengthen basic skills and literacy for out-of-school youth. On the other hand, it participates in international programs for improving the system of teacher recruitment, training and recruitment, while at the same time evaluating academic achievements and other learning.

Does Vanessa include Encono

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01-12-2021 – G5 Sahel: Towards a new investment plan in education