GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE TO EDUCATION SECTOR AND TOTAL SCHOOL ENROLMENT IN NIGERIA

Akpan, Emmanuel Asuquo and Ihendinihu, John Uzoma.
Keywords: Government Capital Expenditure, Government Recurrent Expenditure, Education Sector, School Enrolment, Poverty Rate.
Clifford University International Journal of Development Studies (CLUIJODS) 2023 3(1), 169 -186. Published: December 2023

Abstract

This study examined the effect of government education expenditure on total students’ enrolments in Nigerian public schools. The specific objectives were to ascertain the effect of Government Capital Expenditure to the Education Sector (GCEE) on Total School Enrolment (TSE) in Nigeria, and to examine the influence of Government Recurrent Expenditure to the Education Sector (GREE) on Total School Enrolment in Nigeria. Poverty rate (POVR) was introduced as a control variable. The study adopted ex-post facto research design, with data on the variables sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin covering a period of 40 years from 1981 to 2020. Based on the results of pre-estimation diagnostic tests carried out, ARDL technique was used in estimating the model parameters. The study's findings showed that the overall number of pupils enrolled in Nigeria's public school system is not significantly impacted by government capital or ongoing spending on the education sector. The study comes to the conclusion that inadequate funding for the education sector negatively affects the number of students enrolled in public schools. It therefore suggests that the Federal Government of Nigeria increase capital and ongoing spending to the education sector in order to provide the operating funds and necessary infrastructure to improve the overall number of students enrolled in Nigerian public schools, while simultaneously closing all known channels for financial leakage in budgetary allocations.