The World Bank has revealed alarming statistics regarding the significant financial and qualitative impact of absenteeism among health workers and teachers on Nigeria’s public expenditure. According to the latest Human Capital Public Expenditure and Institutional Review on Nigeria, absenteeism in these critical sectors results in a loss of up to 34 per cent of public expenditure.
Financial
Impact of Absenteeism
The report indicates that absenteeism among health workers
and teachers is a substantial factor undermining the quality and efficiency of
public spending in Nigeria's education and health sectors. Specifically, 13 per cent of public expenditure in education and 21 per cent in health are lost
due to absenteeism. This leakage translates to significant financial losses.
For example, in Lagos State alone, the education and health systems lost $6.7
million in 2021 due to absenteeism, with $3.6 million lost in education and
$3.1 million in health.
Teacher
Absenteeism
The World Bank’s Service Delivery Indicator Survey presents a
grim picture of teacher absenteeism. On average, 13.7 per cent of teachers were
found to be absent from school. Among those present, about 19.1 per cent were
not in the classroom teaching. When teachers were present, they spent an
average of 20.7 per cent of their time on non-teaching activities. Consequently,
teachers dedicated less than three-quarters of the scheduled teaching time to
actual teaching activities, significantly impacting the quality of education
delivered to students.
Health
Worker Absenteeism
The situation is equally dire in the health sector. The
survey found that 31.7 per cent of health providers who were supposed to be at
work were absent during unannounced visits. Urban facilities had higher absence
rates at 34.2 per cent compared to 30.0 per cent in rural areas. Absence rates
also varied by facility type, with health centres showing the highest overall
absence rates at 33.6 per cent and health posts the lowest at 24.3 per cent. Nurses
had the highest absence rates at 40.9 per cent, exacerbating the already
critical shortage of healthcare personnel.
Broader
Implications for Nigeria’s Economy
The report underscores that the Nigerian economy could be up
to 2.77 times larger if comprehensive education and health services were
provided effectively. This represents an additional growth of approximately
2.06 percentage points annually over the next five decades. The World Bank’s
findings highlight the severe implications of absenteeism on the nation’s human
capital development and overall economic growth.
Dire
State of Public Health and Education
The World Bank’s review paints a bleak picture of Nigeria’s
public health and education sectors. Nigeria has the largest number of
out-of-school children globally, the highest number of child deaths under five
each year, and the most significant contributor to maternal deaths worldwide
(34 per cent). The report states, “Globally, one in every six deaths of children
under five is in Nigeria, and one of every 12 children out of school globally
is Nigerian as well. More than 844,000 children die every year in Nigeria
before they reach their fifth birthday. This constitutes the largest number
registered anywhere in the world.”
Insufficient
Public Spending
The review also highlights that Nigeria’s overall public
spending, at merely 12 per cent of GDP, is insufficient to finance essential
public services. This level of investment falls short of the Sub-Saharan
African average of 17.2 per cent. The World Bank notes that over the past five
years, Nigeria’s health and education expenditure has fluctuated between 10 and
12 per cent of GDP. “At $23 and $15 per capita, public expenditure on education
and health in Nigeria, respectively, is inadequate by any standard. Of the $23
per capita spending on education, states spend $14, and the remainder is spent
by the Federal Government. Similarly, of the $15 per capita spending on health,
states spend $8.5. This level of spending compares poorly to Nigeria’s peers
and is far more inadequate given the need to tackle significant issues such as
the high rates of out-of-school children and child mortality,” the report said.
Recommendations
for Improvement
To address these critical issues, the World Bank recommends
that the Nigerian government significantly increase its investment in health
and education. Specifically, it suggests investing at least $1,000 per primary
school student to help reduce the country’s poverty rate. “Considering its
stage of economic development, Nigeria should ideally be investing at least
$1,000 per primary student, which means increasing the per-student expenditure
sixfold. Moreover, with a significant number of children not attending school
and a rapidly growing school-age population, by 2030 Nigeria would need to
increase its investment in basic education ninefold from its 2022 level to
achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.”
Conclusion
The World Bank’s Human Capital Public Expenditure and
Institutional Review on Nigeria provides a comprehensive analysis of the
critical challenges facing the country’s health and education sectors. The
findings highlight the urgent need for substantial investment and policy
reforms to address the pervasive issue of absenteeism and to improve the
overall quality and efficiency of public spending in these essential sectors.
Without immediate and significant intervention, the prospects for Nigeria’s
human capital development and long-term economic growth remain precarious. #worldbank
# TrendingNews #Absenteeism #Health #Bulletin1247
.jpg)
Posts
0 Comments
Your comment is your opinion about the post, and no one will owe you accountable, so do it justly. Thanks.