Financing primary and secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of literature

In this paper, we review literature on the financing of primary and secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a view to contributing some insights about the extent to which the region can achieve the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). At the heart of SDG 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda is the desire to achieve equity in education provision to the extent that no one is left behind. Leaving no one behind in this context suggests a pro-poor approach to educational financing. The SSA region lags behind other developing regions regarding investing in education and is, therefore, under threat of failing to meet the very ambitious aims of SDG 4, hence this focus. We examine the literature through a three-pronged conceptual framework, including public, external aid, and private education financing. Findings show that, ceteris paribus, SSA will not have adequate financial resources to meet SDG 4 requirements. Public education financing, which remains the major source, needs to increase significantly. For this to happen, SSA countries’ economies must necessarily grow. Keywords: education financing; external aid; primary and secondary education; private financing; public financing; sub-Saharan Africa; Sustainable Development Goal