The Federal Government has been advised to increase its funding of the education sector if Nigeria is to become globally competitive.
An academic at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in Osun State, Dr Babatunde Ogundare, gave the recommendation on Tuesday at the Faculty of Science Secondary Schools Quiz Competition held at the institution.
Addressing participants at the gathering, Dr Ogundare lamented that the sector had not been given adequate attention by past governments.
He stressed that government has to pay particular attention to resuscitating the interest of students in science courses, as against other fields of study which is being promoted in the recent time.
According to the don, the present administration must refocus attention to sciences for the development of the nation if the country is to advance technologically.
He further explained the rationale behind the Faculty of Science Secondary Schools Quiz Competition which started about 12 years ago.
Dr Ogundare said the quiz is aimed at sensitising the secondary school students to the knowledge of sciences and to know how relevant science is to the nation.
Eighty-one schools drawn from across states in the South-west region participated in the first round of the written science quiz competition.
Out of the 162 students who took part in the first stage of the quiz competition, 52 students qualified to move on to the second round of the competition.
