The federal government has launched the basic education transformation agenda, a comprehensive reform package aimed at increasing school enrollment and enhancing learning outcomes across the country.
At the unveiling in Abuja, the minister of education, Tunji Alausa, announced that the basic education transformation agenda will provide conditional cash transfers to mothers as an incentive for their children’s regular school attendance.
He added that the program is designed to address persistent issues in the education sector, such as the high number of out of school children, inadequate technical training, dilapidated infrastructure, outdated curricula, and a lack of teacher capacity.
Alausa explained, “The initiative ties conditional cash transfers to mothers to encourage school attendance and introduces a Back2School drive in partnership with the national commission for Almajiri and out of school children education, under which the government bears the full cost of enrollment during official handovers.”
He highlighted teacher retraining as central to the reforms, disclosing that five million youths will be trained within four years.
Already, 270 technical teachers have been equipped with digital and trade specific skills in Ibadan, while 6,000 senior secondary school teachers are undergoing training in artificial intelligence.
He noted that president Bola Tinubu’s administration had approved N120bn for the advancement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Starting from the 2025/2026 academic session, students in federal and state technical colleges will enjoy free tuition, feeding, boarding, uniforms, and protective gear, as well as a N22,500 monthly stipend.
“The training model will be 80 percent practical and 20 percent theoretical, with certified trainers and strong industry linkages through internships,” Alausa said.
He further disclosed that N80bn has been earmarked for the rehabilitation of unity schools, while 38 federal and state technical colleges are undergoing full modernisation.
To align higher education with manpower needs in health, energy, and technology, the government has also introduced the STEMM Nigeria Agenda covering Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences.
A STEMM Up grant of up to N50m will be available to support undergraduate led innovations across universities.
Alausa announced that basic education content has been updated to reflect 21st century demands, with a focus on critical thinking, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and civic responsibility. civic education is now mainstreamed from basic to post basic levels.
Additionally, he disclosed a 50% increase in annual scholarship grants, raising them to N750,000 for Ph.D. students, N600,000 for master’s students, and N450,000 for undergraduates.
Regarding funding, Alausa provided an update on the Nigerian education loan fund, stating that N77 billion has been disbursed to 396,000 students across 210 institutions.
He also announced the establishment of a N10 billion Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF) and the release of N50 billion in June 2025 to settle long standing earned academic allowances.
With respect to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Alausa mentioned that more state governments have been encouraged to provide matching funds to access intervention resources.
He reported that as of mid-2025, 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had accessed N78.6 billion, marking a 65% increase compared to previous years.
He also unveiled measures aimed at protecting vulnerable groups, including a national anti bullying policy, expanded nutrition and school feeding programs, health insurance for Almajiri children conditional on enrollment, and projects focused on girls, such as the learning under the mango initiative and the AGILE project.
In terms of international partnerships, Alausa highlighted a €38 million ICT development project across 10 Nigerian universities, funded by the French development agency.
The project is designed to strengthen hybrid learning, digital infrastructure, and education data systems.
He concluded by stating, “The era of piecemeal responses to education is over.
“We are cleaning up the system, restoring standards, and preparing Nigerian children to compete and thrive globally.”
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