FG, govs pledge to close education funding gap, ensure safe schools

Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Credit: State House

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The Federal Government and state governors have reaffirmed their commitment to closing Nigeria’s widening education financing gap, unveiling a renewed push for safer, better-funded schools aimed at improving access, learning outcomes, and long-term national development.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the maiden edition of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum, themed “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between Town and Gown,” Vice President Kashim Shettima stressed the need for Nigeria to shift from government-only funding to a more collaborative, innovative, and resilient financing model.

The forum—convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education, and other partners—seeks to assess the current state of the sector and develop practical solutions for its improvement.

Represented by his Special Adviser on General Duties, Aliyu Umar, the Vice President noted that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has demonstrated a sustained commitment to boosting investments in education.

He said, “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.”

Shettima added that agencies such as TETFund, UBEC, and NELFUND have strengthened education financing nationwide.

He disclosed that TETFund’s budget rose from N320.3bn in 2023 to N683.4bn in 2024, and now to N1.6tn in 2025, while UBEC has expanded grants and teacher development support across the states.

The Vice President further highlighted the impact of the new student loan system, stating that NELFUND has disbursed N86.3bn to more than 450,000 students across 218 tertiary institutions.

He, however, emphasised that government alone cannot bear the full burden of financing education, urging private sector players, alumni associations, philanthropists, and local communities to co-invest in schools, research, and innovation hubs.

He added, “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.”

Shettima said Nigeria cannot solve its learning crisis without safe, well-equipped schools, stressing that the millions of out-of-school children represent a national emergency requiring unified action between all levels of government and communities.

Earlier, Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said states were investing in initiatives to boost enrolment, retention, and transition rates, especially for vulnerable groups and girls.

Represented by NGF DG, Abdateef Shittu, AbdulRazaq noted that both national (8%) and subnational (14%) education budgets fall below UNESCO’s recommended 15–20% benchmark.

He, however, highlighted that states were gradually closing the gap.

He said, “States spent N1 trillion—12% of their total expenditure—on education in 2022. In 2023, N1.6 trillion was provided for, while N2.4 trillion was committed in 2024. For 2025, states collectively increased education budgets by 53%, from N2.4 trillion to N3.6 trillion, driven largely by a 69% rise in capital allocations.”

AbdulRazaq warned that despite the increased allocations, poor execution remains a major challenge, noting that states utilised only 67% of their education budgets in 2024, resulting in an N800bn shortfall.

He projected that education spending would continue to rise in 2026, with Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kaduna, Katsina, and Abia expected to collectively allocate N1.8tn to the sector.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the Federal Government is strengthening strategies to integrate out-of-school children into formal education.

Speaking through the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, Alausa noted that faith-based, nomadic, Tsangaya, and other non-state schools are being mainstreamed to improve access.

He stated, “To tackle the out-of-school issue, 1,400 Tsangaya teachers have been trained in digital literacy and entrepreneurship, and 35,000 out-of-school children have been reintegrated across states. Expansion of Home-Grown School Feeding and UBEC early childhood grants has been implemented.”

He announced that a new reimbursement scheme for private schools admitting out-of-school children will begin in the 2025/2026 academic year.

On school safety, the Minister said the government has rolled out comprehensive school safety frameworks nationwide in partnership with the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, including the training of 300 Unity College principals and security officers on prevention, preparedness, and emergency response.

Abdulrahman has nearly ten years of experience reporting on political parties, elections, religion, civil society organizations, the Nigeria Governors Forum, and more

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