Jane Salihu
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has said the Federal Government’s education reforms will form a major pillar of nationwide political mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the education sector targeting 10 million votes ahead of the next election.
Alausa, who chairs the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC) Education Mobilisation Working Group, said the successful launch of Tinubu’s campaign in Kaduna State had strengthened the group’s resolve to engage education stakeholders and promote the administration’s achievements.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the minister said the large turnout at the Kaduna event reflected growing confidence in the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the mobilisation drive would cover universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and other educational institutions across the country.
Beyond the political mobilisation, Alausa highlighted the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), describing its six-pillar reform framework as central to improving access to education, strengthening learning outcomes and developing a skills-driven economy.
He particularly highlighted the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, which provides tuition-free vocational training, monthly stipends and opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
According to figures from the Ministry of Education’s NESRI portal, the TVET programme has attracted more than 1.3 million applications, matched 160,000 young Nigerians with training opportunities and disbursed approximately ₦13.98 billion to training centres and trainees, with payments ongoing.
The minister also identified other interventions under NESRI, including the Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), designed to improve education data management, and the EduRevamp teacher development platform, which has registered more than 51,500 teachers.
Other areas of intervention include increased investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM), alongside targeted support for out-of-school children and girl-child education.
“These initiatives are opening new opportunities for young Nigerians, strengthening teaching and learning, and positioning education as a driver of skills, innovation and national development,” Alausa said.
He added that the Kaduna campaign launch had provided fresh momentum for the mobilisation group to expand its nationwide engagement and communicate the impact of the administration’s education policies to stakeholders.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to implementing NESRI in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, with a focus on expanding access, improving education quality, strengthening skills development and delivering measurable improvements in learning outcomes nationwide.
