Gbajabiamila: Access to Education Should Be Determined By Merit, Potential, Not Privilege

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said access to education should be determined by merit and potential, not privilege.

He said it was based on this that he sponsored the Students’ Loans Bill to ensure that no capable Nigerian student would be denied tertiary education due to financial hardship.

The former Speaker of the  House of Representatives disclosed this on Monday at the 2026 International Day for Education Conference themed, ‘Re-imagining the Future of Education in Nigeria: Collaborative Solutions for a Brighter Tomorrow.’

The former lawmaker noted that within the first three months of the current administration, President Bola Tinubu assented to the bill, paving the way for the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

He described the move as a clear demonstration that education is central to the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stressed that education remained the strongest tool for national development as Nigeria seeks to reposition its schools for the future.

Gbajabiamila commended the 10th House for strengthening oversight on tertiary education funding, supporting student welfare, and promoting reforms aimed at enhancing accountability in the sector.

He stated: “The House has shown that parliament is not merely a law-making institution but a strategic partner in shaping Nigeria’s future.

“As Chief of Staff to the President, you can always count on my support. Education will remain central to the Renewed Hope Agenda. Nigeria’s brightest tomorrow will be built in the classrooms we strengthen today.”

Also, the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, said education is not merely another sector of the economy but a matter of national survival for Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation.

He was of the opinion that no country can compete globally without sustained investment in learning.

According to him, “Education is the bridge between potential and productivity; between aspiration and achievement.”

On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, Hon. Fuad Laguda, said the conference offered an opportunity to assess Nigeria’s education system against international benchmarks.

He added that any nation seeking sustainable development must invest heavily in education, stressing that Nigeria must raise its ambitions if it hopes to compete effectively on the global stage.

Laguda pointed out that funding remained one of the most pressing challenges confronting the sector, particularly polytechnics and higher technical institutions.