By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu’s education reforms are widening access to tertiary education, strengthening vocational skills development and improving teacher training.
Idris stated this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address through the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, at a meeting of the Committee of Governing Councils of Federal Colleges of Education.
He said education remained central to the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that sustained investment in human capital was essential to building a prosperous and inclusive economy.
“Our ambition to build a prosperous and inclusive economy can only be achieved through sustained investment in human capital, particularly the education and development of our young people,” the minister said.
Idris identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a major intervention helping eligible students overcome financial barriers to tertiary education. He also highlighted the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship and emerging labour market opportunities.
The minister, however, stressed that the success of the reforms depended on well-trained teachers and effective institutional leadership, urging governing councils to uphold transparency, accountability and prudent resource management.
He also called for stronger working relationships between governing councils and institutional management to promote effective administration and improved academic standards.
“Every investment we make in the training of a teacher is an investment in the future of countless Nigerian children. The quality of our teachers will shape learning outcomes, national development and the opportunities available to future generations,” Idris said.
He further urged the councils to strengthen the teaching of national values, civic responsibility and critical thinking, noting that teachers had a vital role in helping young Nigerians distinguish facts from falsehoods, respect diversity and contribute to national unity.
According to him, the performance of Federal Colleges of Education should be measured by improved academic standards, stronger governance, better-equipped teachers and improved learning outcomes.
Idris challenged participants to develop practical recommendations for strengthening governance and academic standards across the institutions.
He congratulated the committee on its commitment to teacher education and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s recognition of its importance to national development.
