For a given society not to sink it must fervently seek to develop and advance. Over time, it has been proved that the development of a society is proportionate to its level of education. Suffice it to say that a people can only grow to the level at which they know. In Nigeria, the sustainability of development has been hampered by the vile unwillingness of successive governments to adequately fund education. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended that for any nation to experience sustainable growth and development it must allocate at least 4 to 6 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or 15 to 20 percent of its annual budget to the funding of education. This recommendation has obviously been derided by successive Nigerian governments who rather allocate such funds to frivolities and white elephant projects that do not directly impact the lives of the citizenry. Based on the findings, since 1999, the budgetary allocation to education has been dismal and discouraging, with that of 2026 pegged at 6.1 percent of the annual budget. Apparently, in the last twenty seven (27) years, the budgetary allocation to education has witnessed either stagnation or declination, with a mean percentage of 7.68 percent. The study also unearths other issues bedevilling the education sector such as corruption, out-of-school children, demotivated teachers, and insecurity. The discourse concludes that for Nigeria to experience sustainable development and growth the education sector must be adequately funded and the funds expended on the infrastructure projects for which they have been earmarked.

Keywords: Sustainability; Education; Development; Budgetary Allocation; Nigeria; UNESCO.