Economic Confidential

Senate Committee on Education has called on parastatals and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education to seek ways to boost their finances by expanding the scope of their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), as well as seeking partnerships. This is even as the committee assured the Ministry and its parastatals of doing its best to expand the ‘˜envelop’’ given them in the 2013 budget.

The committee, chaired by Senator Uche Chuckwumerije, made the call when the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’’i, accompanied by management staff of the Ministry and heads of parastatals and agencies, met with the committee to clarify issues raised at earlier meeting held on 19th November 2012, saying that the call became necessary as the budgetary allocation is not always sufficient to meet the demands. 

Speaking earlier, the Minister had briefed the committee on discussions held with heads of parastatals to sort out observations made by some of them at the budget defence session on 19th November, 2012. She added that some of the parastatals have been advised to judiciously use their IGR to complement whatever is appropriated for their projects in 2013. Also, she said that government encourages MDAs and its parastatals to collaborate or partner with other organisations or development partners with a view to enhancing their service delivery.