The federal government on Monday launched a new Communication Strategy (2025–2027) for the education sector, designed to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public trust in ongoing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the official launch in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described communication as a central pillar of reform and national development, stressing that education “is not only about classrooms and textbooks but about shaping the destiny of our children and the prosperity of our nation.”
Alausa commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising education, noting that the administration has approved the highest budgetary allocation to the sector in Nigeria’s history. He said this has enabled major improvements in infrastructure, teacher training, and the launch of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI.
He also praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contributions through the Renewed Hope Initiative Scholars’ Scheme and her renewed commitment to the stalled National Library Project, which she revitalised through her 65th birthday appeal for public donations.
Unveiling the new strategy, Alausa said it was not a document to be shelved but a blueprint for telling Nigeria’s education story with clarity, credibility, and consistency. He explained that the framework unites all departments and agencies, sets standards for stakeholder engagement, and serves as a social contract with Nigerians.
Highlighting milestones under NESRI’s six priority areas, the minister cited progress in Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, including the launch of a digital application platform with 1.3 million applicants, free education in technical schools, and Nigeria’s membership of WorldSkills International. He disclosed that 58,000 students have already been matched to training centres, while over 5,600 technical teachers have been retrained.
In STEMM education, Alausa listed initiatives such as the Diaspora BRIDGE programme linking Nigerian institutions with global experts, the upgrade of 18 medical schools, and expansion of nursing and medical student enrolment to address manpower shortages in the health sector.
On basic education, he said over 4,900 classrooms had been built, 3,000 renovated, and 34 model schools constructed in the past six months, reaching more than 2.3 million learners. The ministry has also developed new data platforms to track learners from primary to secondary level and distributed over 60,000 tablets for teacher development.
The minister further highlighted progress in girl-child education, with 577,000 girls receiving scholarships and nearly 100,000 empowered with life skills under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, AGILE Project.
He also announced reforms in curriculum and quality assurance, including the reintroduction of Nigerian History, the launch of Citizenship and Heritage Studies, a new anti-bullying policy, and forthcoming guidelines against drug abuse in schools.
Alausa stressed that the Communication Strategy is anchored on four pillars—Visibility, Coordination, Engagement, and Resilience. According to him, it will ensure that every achievement in the sector is heard, seen, and felt nationwide.
“Let us tell the story of every teacher trained, every child enrolled, every girl empowered, every curriculum modernised, every innovation adopted. Let no achievement go unnoticed, and no Nigerian remain uninformed,” he said.
The minister urged the media, civil society, development partners, parents, and teachers to support the initiative, insisting that reforms can only succeed with public understanding, trust, and active participation.
“With the Renewed Hope Agenda providing vision, NESRI giving structure, and the new Communication Strategy giving voice, Nigeria’s education sector is on a clear path of renewal, resilience, and reform,” Alausa declared.