.Says $345m required annually to reintegrate out-of-school children

By Adesina Wahab

In an effort to reposition education in the country, the Federal Government yesterday engaged the private sector to seek support for the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which is targeted at improving access, quality, governance, and sustainable financing to drive national development outcomes.

Speaking at a high-level engagement with private sector leaders and international agencies in Ikoyi, Lagos, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the NESRI framework is central to repositioning Nigeria’s education sector for global competitiveness and inclusive growth.

This is just a as the Minister disclosed that the government would need about $345 million annually to tame the menace of out-of-school children, who are currently about 15 million in the country.

Alausa, while listing some of the steps so far taken to reduce the number of OSC, said about one million have been returned to formal education system in the last one year.

Alausa outlined six priority areas under NESRI, including expansion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, and aggressive reduction of out-of-school children nationwide.

Other focus areas, he said, include strengthening data and digitalisation systems, improving quality assurance across institutions, and enhancing governance through stronger collaboration with sub-national governments, private sector, and civil society.

The Minister noted Nigeria’s partnership with the Global Partnership for Education could unlock up to $500 million to support foundational learning and reduce learning poverty across the country.

“Education remains the highest-return investment. Under President Bola Tinubu, we are committed to ensuring every Nigerian child accesses quality education through sustained reforms and strategic partnerships”.

The Minister emphasised private sector investment as key to scaling education reforms, introducing a sector-wide approach that aligns funding, removes silos, and strengthens collaboration with partners and institutions.

Alausa explained that the model would ensure strong governance, transparency, financial safeguards, and measurable outcomes, with annual joint reviews and support from World Bank and GPE for implementation.

“We have World Bank supporting eSWAP programme with the help of GPE to help us build this eSWAP office, which we will be launching in the next few weeks,” he added.

Earlier, in her remark, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, urged private sector leaders and key stakeholders to advance strategic dialogue on strengthening Nigeria’s education system.
She expressed appreciation to private sector partners, development organisations, and industry leaders, noting that their presence underscored a shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s education system across all levels.

“This meeting is timely, as education remains central to progress, and no nation can achieve sustainable growth without a strong, inclusive, and forward-looking system.

“The ministry has made deliberate efforts to deepen engagement, and this platform aims to encourage innovative partnerships and foster collaborative solutions to accelerate transformation across Nigeria’s education sector,” Ahmad said.

According to her, NESRI is delivering results, with “renewed momentum in policy alignment” and increasing private sector interest, recognising education investment as both a social responsibility and economic imperative.

In his remark, Serigne Thiam, Former Minister of Education in Senegal and GPE High-Level Envoy emphasised Nigeria’s long-standing partnership with GPE, highlighting leadership in education and summit collaboration transforming education systems.

Similarly, Mr Jim Ovia, Chairman of Zenith Bank, said the dialogue signalled a new era of partnership for education in Nigeria bringing business leaders into government collaboration framework impact.

Ovia added, “We are creating conditions for smarter investment in education by bringing business leaders and government together to ensure accountability and measurable impact in classrooms across Nigeria system wide.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Coronation Group, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, emphasised the need for both pubic and private sectors to accord education the priority it deserves.