Trending 
Nigeria’s Education Minister Tunji Alausa has urged state governments to increase investment in education, saying the country’s future development depends on building a strong, high-quality education system.
Alausa made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a five-day executive retreat for Commissioners of Education organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN), in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, state governments and the Ministry of Education.
The retreat focused on improving education leadership, planning and policy implementation at the state level.
The minister urged states to prioritise quality education, access, infrastructure development, learning materials and teacher recruitment.
He said education should be seen as more than a social service, describing it as a key driver of economic growth and national development.
“Education is no longer simply a social service. Education is our strongest economic policy. It is our national security strategy. It is our industrial policy. It is our poverty reduction strategy. It is our innovation strategy,” Alausa said.
Alausa said the success of Nigeria’s education system depends largely on collaboration between the Nigerian Government and states, noting that states manage most schools and teachers across the country.
“The classrooms belong to the States. The teachers belong to the States. Basic education is fundamentally driven by the States,” he said.
The minister also noted the importance of using reliable data to improve education planning and resource allocation.
He said the government is developing the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), a digital system designed to connect information from schools, local governments, states and national institutions.
According to him, the system will help track learners, teachers, school facilities and learning outcomes across the country.
Alausa added that the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) would provide real-time data to help governments identify challenges and make informed decisions.
“Planning becomes proactive instead of reactive. Budgeting becomes strategic instead of historical. Resource allocation becomes equitable instead of arbitrary,” he said.
Also, speaking at the event, former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, called on education leaders to focus more on improving teaching quality rather than only building infrastructure.
Chidoka said classrooms and facilities alone cannot guarantee better learning outcomes without effective teachers.
“Instruction is superior to infrastructure, because it is the knowledge, skills and values imparted to children that ultimately determine the future of our society,” he said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank Country Director, Mathew Verghis, urged state governments to meet the requirements of the HOPE Education Programme, noting that funding under the initiative is linked to achieving specific targets.
Verghis said the programme is designed to address challenges including the number of out-of-school children, teacher shortages, weak education data systems and poor learning outcomes.
The World Bank also encouraged states to approve teaching and learning materials to improve classroom performance.
The event was attended by 25 state Commissioners of Education, as well as officials from the Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the World Bank.
