The maiden edition of the Nigeria Education Forum (NEF 2025), organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN) and other partners, took place in Abuja on Tuesday and yesterday. It was aimed at ensuring that the dreams of today’s children do not die prematurely because of the absence of a functional educational system that guarantees the realisation of their future aspirations. Following the summit, stakeholders in the sector have welcomed the renewed focus by the Federal Government and state governors on tackling the challenges in the education sector, Bola Olajuwon and Eric Ikhilae report.
The country’s education sector is grappling with poor infrastructure, underfunding, inadequate training, out-of-school children menace, a learning crisis among others despite policy institution and implementation efforts. The three tiers of government and development partners had taken steps to tackle the identified issues, but often lack unified action and resources, leading to continued crisis.
As part of continuing search for solutions, the maiden edition of the Nigeria Education Forum (NEF 2025), organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN) and other partners took place in Abuja on Tuesday and yesterday.
A clarion call for new funding model
At the gathering, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the NGF Chairman and the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, urged relevant stakeholders to evolve new ways of diversifying sources of funds for the education sector.
They noted that with the growing complexity and demands of modern education systems, it is no longer sustainable to rely solely on government’s funding.
The vice president, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar, said: “The country can no longer depend exclusively on traditional models of government-only funding. There is no doubt that we must transition towards a system that is collaborative, innovative, and resilient.”
The vice president, while highlighting the current administration’s efforts to raise funding for the sector, noted that in the past three years, “this administration has shown clear and steady commitment to education financing”.
According to him, “allocations rose from N1.54 trillion in 2023 to N2.18 trillion in 2024, and now to N3.52 trillion in 2025 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope plan.
“This growth reflects our belief that education is the foundation of national stability, progress, and prosperity. We strengthened this investment through key agencies.”
Shettima listed some challenges currently plaguing the education sector. These, he said, include the rising population of out-of-school children, inadequate infrastructure ill-equipped teachers.
“Our needs have grown from classrooms to laboratories, from basic literacy to digital competence, from theoretical instruction to industry-aligned skills.
“These needs demand a diversified and sustainable financing model, one robust enough to carry the aspirations of a new generation,” he said.
Shettima stressed that Nigeria cannot rely solely on government’s funding of the sector.
He added: “We must enlist private sector actors, industry leaders, alumni networks, philanthropists, and communities to co-invest in laboratories, research centres, vocational hubs, innovation clusters, and endowment funds.
“Since education begins in the community, local governments and traditional institutions must take responsibility for infrastructure development, school maintenance, security, and teacher welfare.
“Industry must work closely with tertiary and vocational institutions to shape curricula that reflect real labour-market needs.
“Our universities, in turn, must cultivate a sustainable endowment culture, mobilise alumni support, and establish professorial chairs that strengthen academic excellence and global competitiveness.”
The Vice President said the sector requires sustained collaboration among all stakeholders to address its challenges.
AbdulRazaq said the event, with the theme: “Pathways to sustainable education financing: Developing a synergy between the town and gown in Nigeria,” aimed to reimagine education financing and strengthen town-and-gown collaboration for national and sub-national sustainable development.
The governor, who was represented by NGF’s Director-General, Abdulateef Shittu, described the NEF 2025 as “both a national conversation and a national commitment to rethink how to engage stakeholders on education financing, deliver learning, and equip Nigerian youths for a rapidly evolving world”.
The Kwara governor acknowledged the challenge of inadequate budgetary allocations to the education sector.
He noted that while most states have improved in their allocations to the education sector, they have faltered at the level of project execution.
He added: “We are projecting two-thirds of the states to meet the 15 per cent global benchmark in 2026 fiscal year.
“We are hopeful of addressing the debt servicing challenge, which exceeds total education expenditure in some states.
“This reality limits the capacity of few states to invest in teachers, improve foundational learning, modernise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and strengthen higher education systems.
“However, modalities have been put in place to address these critical needs of the education sector at the state and local government levels.”
To move forward, the NGF Chairman said: “We must close the financing and execution gaps, and modernise teaching, learning, and skills acquisition in the school system.
“We must strengthen accountability for results and deepen partnerships across governments, academia, industry, and development institutions, including agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and subnational governments and ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of circumstance, can thrive in the 21st-century knowledge economy.”
The need for aligning educational policies
The Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Alausa, stressed the need for states and local governments to align their educational policies with that of the Federal Government.
The minister, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, urged all governors, commissioners, and other stakeholders to accelerate alignment of state education reforms with Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) priorities.
He also urged them to build more junior secondary schools (JSS) and senior secondary schools (SSS) to close access gaps; strengthen data reporting for full Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI) integration.
The minister also urged the governors and education commissioners to scale up teacher training and digital adoption, as well as partner with the private sector to grow Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).
Akpabio advocates enhanced pay for teachers.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, also joined the stakeholders yesterday, to give legislature’s support to the executive. He advocated for enhanced remuneration and improved work environment for teachers if the nation wishes to achieve a functional education system.
Senator Akpabio called for a return to the good old days when school teachers were adored, well catered for and highly regarded and respected in the society.
The Senate President, who was represented by the Senate’s Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said: “Provide the conducive environment for them (teachers) to operate and inculcate knowledge into our children. That is the only way we can guarantee the future of our children and the future of our education.
“So, for education to succeed and for Nigeria to succeed, the interests of teachers must be addressed. Adequate remuneration is a sine qua non for the success of our education venture,” he said.
Senator Akpabio disclosed that the Senate was working to step up funding, improve accountability, and expand access to digital learning with a view to aligning the educational system with the needs of the country’s modern economy.
He added: “We know that government alone cannot do it. Education is a national project. A national project succeeds when everyone – Federal, states and local governments, including the private and public sectors – work towards the same goal.”
Senator Akpabio noted that the realisation informed the call for Local Government’s autonomy to enable the third tier of government contributes its own quota, including supporting the education sector.
He said the responsibility of the nation’s leaders, teachers and policy makers is to ensure that the dreams of today’s children do not die prematurely because of the absence of a functional educational system that guarantees the realisation of their future aspirations.
The Senate President added: “So, let us build a new partnership where research speaks to national challenge, where innovations grow out of our universities into our industries, where every child seeks a pathway to success, a pathway that is wide enough, strong enough and welcoming enough to carry them.
“Let us chose to invest, not only in infrastructure, in imagination, not only in text books, but in talents; not only in structures, but in the spirit of our young people.”
CONUA, others welcome new resolve
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) National President Comrade ‘Niyi Sunmonu, PhD, has welcomed the renewed focus by the Federal Government and State Governors on the twin challenges of inadequate budgetary allocation and weak project execution in the education sector.
“The projection that two-thirds of states may attain the 15% benchmark by 2026 is encouraging, but CONUA emphasises that targets must now translate into verifiable increases in real spending on classrooms, teachers, infrastructure, research, and student support systems. For years, CONUA has consistently argued that education cannot grow on declarations alone, sustainable funding backed by discipline in execution remains non-negotiable.
“We strongly align with the emphasis on teacher investment, foundational learning, and modernization of TVET and STEMM education. CONUA has repeatedly maintained that no education reform can succeed without structured, continuous, and well-funded professional training for teachers at all levels, from basic education to the university system. Digital adoption, curriculum renewal, and industry-linked skills training must be matched with large-scale retraining, welfare protection, and motivation of teachers, otherwise reforms will remain cosmetic.
“CONUA also supports the call to deepen accountability, improve data integration (NEDI), and strengthen federal-state policy alignment under NESRI. However, alignment must not become uniformity without context. States differ in fiscal capacity, access gaps, and manpower needs. What is required is coordinated federal leadership, improved education budgets at subnational levels, transparent tracking of funding outcomes, and deliberate protection of education from the crushing weight of debt servicing.
“CONUA remains committed to constructive engagement with all tiers of government in shaping a financing, training, and governance framework that can truly reposition Nigerian education for the 21st-century knowledge economy.
Also, the National President, Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Emmanuel Orji Kanu, strongly supported the key points raised at the education summit, particularly the urgent need to address inadequate budgetary allocations and improve project execution in the education sector.
“Meeting the 15% global benchmark by 2026 is a commendable goal, but it requires tackling the harsh reality that debt servicing in some states surpasses education spending, leaving little room for investing in teachers, infrastructure, and learning outcomes.
“To truly move forward, I suggest two critical additions: Inclusive Dialogue: The Governors’ Forum should extend invitations to private sector partners for paper presentations and insights. In many states, they’re already covering over 50% of school-age children, offering valuable perspectives for pragmatic reforms.
“Curriculum Shift: Nigeria’s education system must prioritise practical skills over theory, embracing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to drive development and production. It’s time to equip students for the 21st-century economy.
“I echo the minister’s call for aligning policies with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), and urge governors to: Expand junior and senior secondary schools to bridge access gaps; enhance data reporting via the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI), and boost teacher training, digital tools, and private-sector partnerships for TVET and STEMM growth.
“Every Nigerian child deserves an education that sparks innovation and progress. Let’s close the financing gap, modernise learning, and champion accountability. Together, we can build a system that thrives.
“While things continue to prove difficult, in AFED have equally determine that we would continue to complement the government effort at solving the educational service provision problem by providing a stop gap solutions that are credible and trustworthy because education in itself is meaningless there’s no meaning of life in it.”
The National President of Early Childhood Association of Nigeria (ECAN), Prof. Babajide Abidogun, said implementing the minimum standards within 12 months would require an accelerated infrastructural development plan. He noted that given the limited timeframe, it’s unlikely that most states can overhaul existing infrastructure to meet the desired standards in such a short period.
He said while the National Minimum Standards is a step in the right direction for improving education in Nigeria, implementing these standards in just 12 months will be extremely challenging given the current limitations in infrastructure, personnel, and funding.
He said: “To make this feasible, states would need focused, high-impact interventions (e.g., prioritising key areas like teacher recruitment and emergency infrastructure repairs).
“A phased implementation plan where the most critical standards are met first, with longer timelines for more complex improvements.
“Collaboration between all levels of government, NGOs, and the private sector to secure additional funding and technical support.
“Overall, while it’s theoretically possible to make some progress, fully meeting the standards in 12 months would require significant intervention, financial support and careful planning.”
Prof. Abidogun said: “Many states are facing significant deficits in terms of educational infrastructure. Secondary schools are often characterised by overcrowded classrooms, poor sanitation, inadequate access to learning resources (e.g., libraries, laboratories), and a lack of basic amenities (e.g., electricity, functional toilets). “However, states could prioritise low-cost improvements, such as: Repairing dilapidated buildings and classrooms by focusing on the most urgent issues like roofing, walls, and furniture.
“Upgrading existing facilities with essential tools like desks, blackboards, and basic ICT infrastructure; and collaborating with private and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to fund certain infrastructure projects.”
