Education policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has raised concerns about how education infrastructure funds are shared through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), warning that the current system is widening the gap between rural and urban schools.
In a policy brief released on Saturday, May 2, 2026, the group said a lack of proper school infrastructure remains a major barrier to access and progress in basic education, especially in underserved rural areas.
The report highlights that in some northern regions, up to 60% of primary schools do not have an attached Junior High School (JHS).
This makes it difficult for pupils to move to the next level of education and contributes to higher dropout rates.
Eduwatch acknowledged that the government introduced the DACF as a decentralised way to fund and improve school infrastructure.
However, it argues that the current method of allocating these funds does not adequately prioritise districts with the greatest needs.
“DACF allocations for education have so far proven to be inequitable, potentially reinforcing existing rural–urban disparities in basic school infrastructure,” the policy brief stated.
According to Eduwatch, the mismatch between infrastructure needs and funding distribution is contributing to persistent shortages of Junior High School facilities in many deprived communities.
The organisation said this has broader implications for education access, retention, and equity, particularly in northern parts of the country where school infrastructure gaps remain acute.
As part of its recommendations, Africa Education Watch is calling on the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Local Government to revise the DACF education allocation model.
The group is thus calling on the government to adopt a needs-based funding formula that prioritises districts with the most severe school infrastructure deficits.
“It calls on the Ministries of Education and Local Government to introduce a needs-weighted DACF education sub-formula that aligns allocation with basic school infrastructure deficits,” the report said.
Eduwatch believes such reforms will help close infrastructure gaps, improve transition rates from primary to JHS, and reduce school dropouts in rural communities.
