By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has declared that the success of Nigeria’s education reforms depends on stronger collaboration between the Federal and State Governments, and a deliberate transition to data-driven decision-making, describing education as the nation’s most strategic investment for economic growth, national security and sustainable development.
Speaking at the opening of the Five-Day Executive Retreat for Commissioners of Education, organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN), Dr. Alausa said President Bola Tinubu has placed education at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda by providing the political leadership and policy support required to implement bold reforms capable of transforming the sector.
He noted that while the Federal Government provides strategic direction, policy leadership and targeted interventions, the constitutional responsibility for delivering quality basic and secondary education rests largely with state governments, making effective collaboration essential to achieving meaningful and sustainable reforms.
The Minister commended COSCEN, under the leadership of its Chairman, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, for convening the Executive Retreat, describing it as a timely platform for strengthening leadership, promoting peer learning and deepening collaboration among education stakeholders across the federation.
Highlighting one of the administration’s flagship reforms, Dr. Alausa described Nigeria’s transition from assumption-based planning to evidence-based governance as a defining milestone in the ongoing transformation of the education sector.
He announced the deployment of the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), explaining that the integrated digital platforms will provide real-time information on learner enrolment, teacher deployment, school infrastructure, learning outcomes and other critical indicators required for effective planning, budgeting, monitoring and resource allocation.
According to the Minister, the new digital ecosystem will integrate education data from schools, local governments, states and federal institutions into a single interoperable platform, providing reliable and credible information to guide policy decisions while significantly improving transparency, accountability and service delivery across the education system.
Dr. Alausa urged all state governments to complete their Annual School Census using the digitised platform, commending Kaduna and Borno States for their progress while encouraging other states to accelerate implementation. He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has already deployed digital dashboards and smart boards to strengthen evidence-based planning, with the National Bureau of Statistics providing additional analytical support to improve education data management nationwide.
The Minister also called on Commissioners to maximise the opportunities presented by the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme, which provides US$552 million in performance-based financing to states that achieve agreed implementation milestones.
He observed that although all 36 states are eligible to benefit from the programme, several have yet to fulfil critical requirements, including the signing of Subsidiary Loan Agreements, opening designated programme accounts and meeting mandatory education data reporting obligations.
He urged Commissioners to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to satisfy the Programme-for-Results requirements and unlock additional resources needed to improve access to quality education, strengthen learning outcomes and enhance education governance.
To sustain the momentum of ongoing reforms, Dr. Alausa proposed that the Council of State Commissioners of Education institutionalise quarterly review meetings to promote peer learning, monitor implementation progress, exchange best practices and strengthen collective accountability across the federation.
Speaking on other priorities under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the Minister said the Federal Government is expanding access to affordable digital learning technologies, including offline instructional platforms, comprehensive digital learning resources from Primary One to Senior Secondary School, as well as teacher support tools designed to improve lesson delivery and classroom instruction.
He, however, cautioned against concentrating investments solely on expensive smart school infrastructure without making adequate provisions for sustainability and maintenance, stressing that quality instructional materials, well-supported teachers and conducive learning environments remain the most critical determinants of improved learning outcomes.
Reaffirming that education is a shared national responsibility that transcends political affiliations, he called on all stakeholders to institutionalise reliable education data, strengthen accountability, invest consistently in human capital and sustain collaborative reforms capable of delivering measurable improvements in learning outcomes nationwide.
Declaring the Executive Retreat open, the Minister urged Commissioners to embrace evidence over assumptions, collaboration over isolation and continuity over fragmented reforms, emphasising that Nigeria’s future prosperity, productivity and global competitiveness will ultimately depend on the quality of education provided to today’s learners.
In his keynote presentation titled “Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption,” former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, challenged Commissioners to build reforms that outlive political administrations.
He emphasised that sustainable improvements in education require policy continuity, reliable data systems, stronger teacher development, greater accountability and sustained investment in learning outcomes rather than short-term interventions.
Also speaking, the Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme, Shin Nomura, who represented the World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reform agenda through the HOPE Education Programme.
He explained that the programme became effective in March 2026 and is designed to strengthen education governance, financing, teacher development, learning outcomes and education data systems through a performance-based financing model. He urged state governments to complete all preparatory requirements to facilitate timely access to programme funding.
