Since 2010, the budget for education in Oyo state has never been over 18% of the total budget. In a twist, Governor Makinde increased allocation to 22%, confirming his resolve to revamp education in the state; further allocating ₦1.2 billion to the Oyo Library Board. However, the derelict state of the Oyo state central library, questions if Governor Seyi’s library budget is all talk.
- Makinde allocated ₦47 billion to education, ₦1.2 billion to the library board;
- Governor Seyi based his 2020 budget on an increment to the education expenditure;
- Yet, the Oyo state library continues to be a tomb for dead books;
Breaking records: Makinde Budgets of 22% for Education
Incumbent Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde made his November 2019 debut in grand fashion, promising vitality to the education sector of the state. And further backed his words with bold actions like a 12% increase on the education allocation as against Governor Ajimobi. Specifically, Oyo state’s ₦213 billion 2020 budget set apart ₦47billion for the education sector; a breakdown had ₦36.54billion for recurrent expenditure, and ₦11.28billion for capital expenditure.
More importantly, the appropriation saw the sum of ₦165 million allocated to the Oyo state library board in the division of ₦95 million for capital expenditure and ₦70.9 million for recurrent expenditure. However, the decrepit state of Oyo state’s public library in Dugbe is in stark contrast to the 22% allocation for education in the 2020 budget.
Meanwhile, the decrepit state of Dugbe library which is the State headquarter poses a discrediting suggestion that other state-owned libraries at different regions are also in similar state.
Sadly, Oyo State Library’s dismal condition is not news with her heydays long behind her since her 1954 launch. And despite her rich history involving Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the library has seen little advancement in recent years. The initial idea was a house of knowledge and an educational and societal bridge. But now it houses the shelf of dreams past and book carcasses.
Obsolete library, a tomb for dead books.
Calling the Oyo state library in Dugbe a shadow of its former self is an understatement. Not only are books outdated, and equipment derelict, but they seem to have lost the ethos of it being a societal bridge. Investigations by this reporter revealed that despite these conditions, entrants still has to pay ₦1000 to use the facility. In fact, an accurate description would be a tomb of dead books. What’s more, the surrounding areas are dilapidating, and books… well, you’d not find a typical “library collection”; instead there are collections of empty shelves.
But perhaps the most interesting part was this reporter’s interaction with the library attendant, Rukayat. After taking the reporter to the only functioning part of the library on the first floor, she advised he came with his own books. This was apparently common practice, as the books here were “too old for reading”. Imagine the irony of leaving one’s house with a book to go to another building to read.
Elsewhere, another library user, Praise Moses, expressed his dissatisfaction over the moribund state of the library. He could not believe it was even a library, let alone a state library. “Some floors of this library have been abandoned because there is no maintenance culture,” he complained.
2010-2019: Education never exceeded 18% of Oyo State Budget
By and large, many administrations have ignored the astute roles a public library can play in making education worthwhile in the state. In truth, one can correlate the obvious negligence of the government towards this project with the low budget allocations to the educational sector in the state.
But is it a budget problem or an implementation problem? Granted, historically no Oyo state administration has met the UNESCO benchmark allocation of 26% to Education. And Save Makinde, no state government even went past an 18% allocation, since 2010. So what went wrong with this administration? Should ₦1.2 billion not be enough to kickstart work? Just like Dataphyte analysis explained, the level of expediency governments put on projects in the Education sector are reminiscent of their regard for the field. And it has to change.
Government remains silent
While rationalising possible delays to revitalising Oyo state library, Dataphyte put forward a call to the state government for clarity, but to no avail. And after sending a text message to the Chief Press Secretary to the state Government, Mr Taiwo Adisa, he directed us to the Commissioner of Education. “Please speak to the people in charge of the Library and the Commissioner for Education,” he texted back.
Likewise, Dataphyte could not get a hold of the commissioner of education via calls and text.
An Expert demands accountability.
“If that money has been spent on a library the government needs to come out and give information of how they spent it. They should provide the evidence of the money being spent on the intended purposes.”
Segun Elemo noted how an allocation of over ₦1bn to the state library board was novel. No other previous administration has done this. But its effect remains unseen. Are the delays a logistical issue or a result of the pandemic? The Executive Director of Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) beckoned on the Oyo state government to be accountable to her indigenes. More so, Governor Makinde needs to fulfil his promise of revamping the Education Sector.
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