Nigeria’s universal basic education system would be improved, according to Vice President Kashim Shettima, following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling giving local government (LG) councils complete financial authority.

At the public launch of a book titled “Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria,” written by former deputy governor of Ekiti State Modupe Adelabu, held in Abuja on Thursday, the vice president issued a warning against the misuse of LG autonomy. 

The vice president stated that the financial constraints preventing administrative units from aligning with the government’s educational program will be resolved by giving local governments more power, as they bear direct responsibility for basic education.

Shettima also gave Nigerians assurances that President Bola Tinubu’s current reforms would address the shortcomings and ideologies impeding the country’s efforts to provide universal education.

Since the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to the third tier of government and ordered the Federal Government to pay the 20.60% monthly allocation of the 774 LGs in the nation directly to their exclusive accounts and not to accounts controlled by governors, about 15 states have announced or held local government elections in the last month.

In a historic ruling in July, the supreme court forbade governors who were intoxicated with power from dissolving locally elected local government councils.