The federal authorities stated it had returned a couple of million out-of-school kids to the classroom within the final 20 months. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja when he obtained the newly appointed United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) Country Representative to Nigeria, Professor Isaiah Barreto DaRosa, who was on a courtesy go to.
Separately, Alausa charged Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian public universities to urgently diversify funding sources and strengthen development places of work.
He warned that authorities allocations alone couldn’t maintain tertiary establishments.
Alausa gave the directive on the National Advancement Forum 2026 in Abuja.
He expressed concern that solely 4 out of 68 federal universities have been at present making significant use of different funding, corresponding to analysis grants, endowments, alumni giving, philanthropy, and trade partnerships.
“Government funding is not enough. Universities live, function and excel on blended funding,” the minister stated.
While receiving the newly appointed UNESCO Country Representative to Nigeria, Alausa revealed that almost 6.7 million women had benefited from numerous authorities interventions designed to enhance entry to schooling and preserve them at school.
He stated the achievements have been a part of the federal authorities’s ongoing efforts to overtake the schooling sector.
He harassed that the federal government was decided to shut gaps in entry and enhance the standard of studying.
Alausa, nonetheless, stated the federal government couldn’t afford to pay attention its schooling interventions on just one gender.
While acknowledging the progress made in selling girl-child schooling, he additionally referred to as for elevated consideration to the tutorial wants of boys.
“We must sustain the gains we have made with the girl-child, but we also need to pay attention to the boy-child,” he stated.
The minister stated Nigeria’s human capital growth would solely be significant if no youngster was left behind, no matter gender or background.
He listed the Federal Ministry of Education’s six precedence areas as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); Science, Technology, (*20*) and Mathematics (STEM); reintegration of out-of-school kids, knowledge and digitalisation; girl-child schooling; and high quality assurance.
He stated the federal authorities was additionally investing in abilities growth, expertise and trainer coaching as a part of efforts to provide graduates able to competing in a quickly altering economic system.
He said that dependable schooling knowledge was more and more being deployed to determine areas of want, goal authorities interventions, and measure outcomes.
On trainer growth, Alausa welcomed UNESCO’s technical help for the ministry’s Accelerated Teacher Professional Programme (ATPP) which had a goal of coaching a million in-service lecturers.
He additionally acknowledged UNESCO’s help in TVET evaluation, digital transformation, schooling for peace, and media and knowledge literacy.
The minister urged UNESCO to align its interventions with the reform priorities of the Nigerian authorities, saying stronger coordination would be certain that technical help interprets into concrete outcomes.
“We want partnerships that complement what Nigeria is already doing and help us deliver faster and better results,” he stated.
Alausa assured the UNESCO delegation that the federal authorities would proceed to mix home assets with strategic worldwide partnerships to drive its schooling reforms.
He stated the administration’s focus was on increasing entry, bettering high quality and equipping Nigerian kids and younger folks with the information and abilities wanted to contribute to nationwide growth.
Earlier, the UNESCO Country Representative, Da Rosa, pledged the organisation’s help for Nigeria’s schooling transformation programme.
He described UNESCO as a technical accomplice keen to supply experience in areas the place the Nigerian authorities required help.
Da Rosa recalled UNESCO’s longstanding presence in Nigeria relationship again to the Sixties, stating that the organisation has supported the nation in schooling, science, tradition, communication and knowledge.
He counseled the ministry’s progress in digitising schooling knowledge, describing correct knowledge as important for efficient planning and coverage implementation.
The UNESCO consultant stated the organisation was able to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in TVET, trainer growth and efforts to convey out-of-school kids again into the classroom.
He disclosed that UNESCO-supported programmes had already educated greater than 28,000 lecturers throughout totally different states and reached over 1.7 million college students.
Da Rosa added that UNESCO’s specialised institutes remained obtainable to supply additional technical help to Nigeria.
Alausa assured the UNESCO delegation that the administration’s focus remained on increasing entry, bettering high quality and equipping Nigerian kids and younger folks with the information and abilities wanted to contribute to nationwide growth.
Meanwhile, Alausa urged vice chancellors to maneuver past administering allotted funds to actively constructing relationships with alumni, companies, philanthropists and analysis funders to draw assets for laboratories, scholarships, analysis chairs and innovation programmes.
He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met you beyond halfway. He has given you the leverage and the opportunity to do your jobs well. You must now take advantage of it.”
He described the present scenario as “unacceptable.”
The minister harassed that the decision was not a withdrawal of presidency help.
He stated the Tinubu administration at present funded personnel prices in full, allowed universities to retain 75 per cent of internally generated income, and continued direct and particular interventions by way of TETFund.
He additionally recalled that Tinubu permitted a framework to maneuver analysis and endowment funds out of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to industrial banks of selection, to supply better flexibility and construct confidence in managing such assets.
To strengthen useful resource mobilisation, Alausa issued speedy directives together with, “All University Advancement Offices should report on to the Vice-Chancellor, to not the Registrar.
“Directors of Advancement will need to have a minimal inner tenure of 5 years, renewable, to construct lasting donor and alumni relationships.
“Advancement Office operation is a professional job.”
He added, “Advancement officers are professional fundraisers who require institutional support, stability and the confidence of university management to deliver results.”
The minister urged universities to develop practical alumni databases and deploy expertise to keep up lifelong relationships with graduates in Nigeria and overseas, describing alumni engagement as a strategic element of institutional development.
Alausa introduced that the ministry, in collaboration with the Nigerian Higher Education Foundation (NHEF), will develop a complete nationwide framework for sustainable financing of tertiary establishments.
The framework will cowl: endowment governance, accountability, analysis grants, Advancement Office constructions, alumni giving, trade partnerships, philanthropy incentives, income administration and transparency.
All public universities might be progressively on-boarded and anticipated to: construct an endowment, set up an efficient development construction, preserve a practical alumni database, strengthen analysis funding capability, and develop partnerships with trade and philanthropists.
“The objective is not to replace government funding or depend solely on internally generated revenue, but to establish diversified and resilient financing systems that complement government support and sustain academic excellence,” the minister clarified.
He assured that the Federal Ministry of Education will proceed to supply coverage route and an enabling surroundings, whereas anticipating college leaders to take better duty for mobilising assets.
“Institutions that fail to diversify their funding base risk limiting their capacity for sustained growth, research and academic excellence,” Alausa warned.
Kuni Tyessi
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