Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, appointed on October 23, 2024, has released the ministry’s quarterly overview of programmes under his supervision.

In a significant move to overhaul the nation’s educational infrastructure and address the perennial challenges, the ministry stressed that it is executing the Nigerian Education Sector Renewed Initiative (NESRI), a six-point agenda designed to transition the country from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.

The report stressed that it is marking 14 months of aggressive reforms aimed at ensuring every Nigerian child has access to quality education in a safe environment, regardless of their location.

One of the most notable achievements for industrial harmony, according to the report, is the formalisation of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and FGN Agreement, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

After years of recurring strikes, the new agreement, it said, introduces a 40 percent upward review of academic emoluments and a revised salary structure. The deal also established a new professional cadre allowance for full-time professors and readers. It said the one for polytechnics was being drawn up.

To ensure these investments are managed with transparency, the ministry noted that it has launched the Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance Transparency Portal (FTIGTP). The platform, it said, tracks key performance and funding metrics across the board, with 47 out of 67 federal universities and 35 out of 39 polytechnics already onboarded.

Besides, the Alausa-led ministry said it is making a massive bet on technology to bridge learning gaps. Through the Digitisation of Public Schools Initiative, it noted that over 1,000 smart boards have been deployed to Federal and State Basic Education schools nationwide to equip students with future-ready skills.

In the same vein, the government pointed out that it is also prioritising the welfare and capacity of teachers. The launch of Edurevamp, a mobile-based professional development platform, it said, has already seen 37,000 teachers registered, with 18,000 fully enrolled to receive digital skills training and stipends.

Furthermore, a partnership with the UK-funded PLANE programme and telecommunication giants MTN and Airtel will provide 8,000 teachers across the six geopolitical zones with zero-rated internet access to facilitate modern instruction.

In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, the ministry emphasised that it has rolled out several social intervention programmes. A landmark N2.55 billion Menstrual Health campaign, titled “Flow with Confidence”, was launched in Gombe to deliver over 1 million pads to 370,000 girls in rural areas, aimed at reducing school absenteeism, it said.

The ministry stated that it has also secured a massive scholarship initiative through the Dangote Foundation, which aims to provide scholarships to three million young Nigerians. This programme, it said, specifically targets 170,000 young girls and over one million students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEMM).

To ease the cost of living for students on campus, the education ministry revealed that it distributed 240 electric tricycles and 12 solar-powered charging stations to 12 universities across the geopolitical zones. The ministry projects that this move will reduce campus transportation costs by up to 70 percent.

Addressing the security concerns that have plagued schools in recent years, Alausa said that the ministry partnered with the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to unveil the School Safety Portal. The system, it said, currently has 15,000 schools registered and has successfully geolocated 141,000 schools to provide real-time tracking and security support.

On the vocational front, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme has seen the disbursement of N2.97 billion in stipends to 160,000 young Nigerians, supported by an additional N4.6 billion for skills training centres. To ensure accountability, the ministry stated that it has enforced Biometric Attendance Verification at all TVET centres to monitor disbursements.

Similarly, the Ministry of Education stated that it is also looking beyond Nigerian borders to enhance educational quality. A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), it stressed, was signed between the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Birmingham.

Under Nigeria’s Transnational Education framework, the UK university will offer both postgraduate and undergraduate education in STEMM disciplines, it added.

Additionally, Alausa said he recently visited Singapore to discuss a bilateral agreement focused on training leaders for technical schools and adopting global excellence models for Nigeria’s TVET institutions.

The ministry stated that the focus remains on the NESRI six-point agenda, with the National Council on Education (NCE) recently reaffirming English as the language of instruction while suspending the previous National Language Policy to streamline the curriculum.

“Dr Alausa held a roundtable discussion with the CBN and VCs of federal universities to formally transition documentation, responsibility and ownership of CBN-supported intervention education projects to the benefiting institutions in order to maintain institutional continuity, proper asset stewardship and long-term value for public investment in education.

“FGN and BOI launched a N50 million grant initiative to provide mentorship and capacity building opportunities to students in tertiary education. 30,639 registrations received since launch,” part of the document stated.

(Tribune)

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