Impact & Partnership
EduBudget Tracker
EduBudget Tracker: Follow the Money, Transform Education
Education is the backbone of national development, yet in Nigeria, billions of naira allocated to education budgets often fail to reach classrooms. Leakages, mismanagement, and poor accountability leave schools underfunded while students struggle with overcrowded classrooms, unpaid teachers, dilapidated infrastructure, and inadequate learning materials.
The EduBudget Tracker, an initiative of the Edugist Education Foundation, is a civic technology and accountability tool designed to track, collate, and monitor education budgets across Nigeria — from federal to state levels. By combining data journalism, civic engagement, and digital innovation, the platform empowers citizens, civil society, and policymakers to demand transparency, evaluate spending, and push for equitable allocation of resources.
Our mission is simple
To make education financing transparent, accountable, and impactful for every Nigerian learner.
Why EduBudget Tracker?
Chronic Underfunding
Nigeria’s education sector has consistently received less than the UNESCO-recommended 15–20% of national budgets, often hovering around 5–7% in recent years.
Weak Implementation
Even when budgets are announced, actual budget releases and expenditures fall short, with little public tracking or scrutiny.
Data Gap
Citizens, teachers, and communities rarely have access to clear, user-friendly data on how education budgets are spent.
Impact on Learners
Without accountability, children pay the price — learning in unsafe, under-resourced environments that stifle their future.
EduBudget Tracker changes the narrative by opening up the “black box” of education finance.
Our Approach
1. Budget Data Collection & Collation
We gather data from federal and state ministries of education, budget offices, and public finance records to build a centralised repository of education funding information.
2. Civic Tech Platform
Through an interactive online platform, citizens can:
- Access education budget allocations and releases per state.
- Track capital and recurrent expenditure.
- Compare trends across years, states, and sectors.
- Download reports and datasets for advocacy or research.
3. Investigative Journalism & Storytelling
Numbers tell a story, but stories drive action. Edugist leverages its newsroom expertise to publish investigative features, infographics, and explainers that expose gaps, successes, and failures in education spending.
4. Policy Engagement
We convene dialogues with government agencies, legislators, CSOs, and donors to:
- Share insights from budget analysis.
- Advocate for increased and efficient education funding.
- Strengthen accountability mechanisms.
5. Citizen Participation
We convene dialogues with government agencies, legislators, CSOs, and donors to:
- Share insights from budget analysis.
- Advocate for increased and efficient education funding.
- Strengthen accountability mechanisms.
Milestones & Achievements
2023
Conceptualised EduBudget Tracker in response to widespread demand for transparency in Nigeria’s education financing.
2024
Piloted the platform in five states, tracking allocations and releases for primary and secondary education.
Published 10 investigative reports on mismanagement and gaps in budget implementation.
Engaged civil society coalitions to integrate budget tracking into their advocacy work.
2025
Preparing to scale the tool nationwide, with expanded datasets and interactive dashboards.
Impact So Far
Citizens accessed budget information through EduBudget Tracker pilot.
Advocacy groups used our reports for community campaigns.
Exposed discrepancies in at least ₦2 billion worth of education allocations that failed to reach schools.
Sparked dialogue with policymakers on the need for transparency and reform.
Future Vision
By 2030, EduBudget Tracker aims to:
- Expand to cover all 36 states and the FCT.
- Launch an Open Data Portal for Education Finance in Nigeria.
- Collaborate with government agencies to institutionalise budget reporting in the education sector.
- Build partnerships with donors and international watchdogs to integrate Nigeria into global education financing benchmarks.
Why It Matters
Transparent education financing isn’t just about numbers — it’s about children. Every naira tracked is a step towards:
- More classrooms built.
- More teachers trained and paid.
- More children accessing equitable learning opportunities.
Accountability saves futures.
Get Involved
You can be part of the movement for education transparency:
Explore the Tracker
Access and share budget data.
Partner With Us
Collaborate on research, advocacy, and open data initiatives.
Support Our Work
Provide funding, technical expertise, or policy influence.