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Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has emphasised that education represents the public investment with the highest potential returns.
He made this observation during a high-level event organised jointly by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Nigeria, alongside the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), held as part of his engagements at the ongoing 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
VP Shettima highlighted that each additional year a child spends in school not only boosts lifetime earnings but also helps mitigate the risks of fragility and conflict.
The event provided a platform to explore the global opportunities offered by investing in quality education.
“Strategically targeted funding for education addresses the root causes of instability, extreme poverty, and youth unemployment,” VP Shettima said, noting that the GPE amplifies its impact through financing, policy guidance, and focused incentives.
He hinted that the partnership leverages domestic resources and co-financing, thereby increasing the effect of every dollar invested.
This approach has unlocked billions in additional funding beyond GPE’s own grants.
The Vice President pointed out that GPE has a proven track record of mobilising partners and delivering large-scale results.
In 2024 alone, the partnership approved over US$1.2 billion in new grants and mobilised more than US$1.5 billion in co-financing, demonstrating the effectiveness of its model when properly funded and prioritised.
Shettima further stressed the importance of predictable and adequate replenishment for GPE to fulfil its mission. Between 2021 and 2025, GPE raised around US$4.2 billion, a substantial achievement, yet still insufficient to transform education fully.
Turning to Nigeria, VP Shettima noted efforts to expand early childhood education, enhance teacher training, and invest in marginalised regions.
He highlighted a significant GPE grant in Nigeria that supports the integration of children from religious schools into mainstream education and provides teacher training, particularly to advance girls’ education.
He called on donors to protect and increase official development assistance for basic education, prioritise predictable and flexible funding to strengthen educational systems, and support targeted initiatives such as girls’ education accelerators, which yield substantial social returns.
VP Shettima concluded by emphasising that fully funded replenishment will release essential grants and technical support where they are most needed.
“Nigeria is committed to working with all partners to ensure GPE 2030 becomes a turning point, delivering both scale and measurable learning outcomes for children. Our collective action must match the promise of our young learners,” he added.
