Nigeria’s Education Budget Jumps To ₦3.52trn Under President Tinubu

** VP Shettima says out-of-school children pose national emergency, calls for private sector co-investment

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria’s education budget has jumped to ₦3.52 trillion in 2025 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which is a significant increase from ₦1.54 trillion in 2023.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who stated this in Tuesday in Abuja, said that the number of out-of-school children in the country constitutes a national emergency, calling for collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders to address the problem.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Aliyu Modibo Umar at the opening of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum in Abuja, VP Shettima noted that education spending under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflects the administration’s unwavering commitment to building an enlightened and globally competitive population.

The forum, organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education, focused on the theme “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between Town and Gown in Nigeria.”

Senator Shettima said, “Nothing threatens a civilisation more than an uneducated generation. Nations rise when the people, regardless of circumstance, are equipped with the knowledge to imagine a better future and the skills to build it.”

The Vice President emphasised that Nigeria has reached a critical inflection point where traditional government-only funding models can no longer sustain the country’s educational needs. He called for a fundamental shift toward collaborative, innovative, and resilient financing mechanisms.

In his words: “The burden cannot rest on government alone. We must enlist private sector actors, industry leaders, alumni networks, philanthropists, and communities to co-invest in laboratories, research centres, vocational hubs, innovation clusters, and endowment funds.”

VP Shettima detailed substantial increases across key education funding agencies under the President Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope plan, where, for example, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) budget grew from ₦320.3 billion in 2023 to ₦683.4 billion in 2024, and now stands at ₦1.6 trillion in 2025.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has distributed ₦92.4 billion in matching grants to 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Another ₦19 billion has supported teacher development across 32 states and the FCT, while ₦1.5 billion has reached more than 1,147 communities. Individual state UBE grants have increased from approximately ₦1.3 billion to over ₦3.3 billion, allowing states to access more than ₦6.6 billion through counterpart funding arrangements.

The newly created Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established under the Student Loans Act of 2024, has already disbursed ₦86.3 billion to over 450,000 students in 218 tertiary institutions nationwide.

According to the Vice President, “This Fund signals a new era where no Nigerian is denied tertiary education for lack of money.

“The learning crisis cannot be solved without safe and well-equipped schools, from basic classrooms to technical laboratories. Teachers must enjoy adequate training, welfare, and professional recognition if they are to deliver the outcomes our children deserve.”

He called for deliberate collaboration across federal, state, and local government levels, emphasising the importance of prompt counterpart funding, transparent utilisation of resources, and strict adherence to action plans.

“Since education begins in the community, local governments and traditional institutions must take responsibility for infrastructure development, school maintenance, security, and teacher welfare.

“We are here today because we do not treat education as just a line item in the national budget. We treat it as the foundation of our national identity, the engine of our economic transformation, and the shield of our collective security,” the Vice President said.

Nigeria’s Education Budget Jumps To ₦3.52trn Under President Tinubu

Yuletide: NSCDC Warns Against Vandalism of Critical Infrastructure in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Dr. Olusola Odumosu has assured residents of a hitch free Christmas and New Year celebration.

He warned criminals to steer clear of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) during the yuletide season or be ready to face the full wrath of the law.

Odumosu gave the warning on the heels of the festive season under way which is often characterized by growing criminal activities.

Odumosu, said the Command is working round the clock to ensure that residents of FCT enjoy a hitch free celebration, as well as ensure protection of critical national assets and infrastructure from unscrupulous elements.

He disclosed that his undercover and crack squad personnel are on 24/7 surveillance and patrol of dark spots across the metropolis to truncate activities of men of the underworld.

He called on residents, especially commuters to be on alert against one chance syndicates while commuting within and outside the metropolis as well as ensure that they are always watchful while boarding vehicles, adding that they must develop a culture of going to designated motor parks to get vehicles that have company names that could be traced to avoid patronizing one chance operators.

Odumosu, who frowned at the spate of kidnappings, urged the people of the capital city to be proactive and follow their inner instinct, avoid moving at night, lonely places and ensure that they keep their families and loved ones informed of their way about always.

He also advised those with criminal motives in the FCT to have a rethink, relocate, or be ready to face the full weight of the law as his personnel will not renege in their dogged resolve to keep vandals and criminals out of the city.

He asked residents of the FCT to be vigilant and report any strange person or group of people lurking around their vicinity or tampering with electric cables, transformers, waterboard pipelines, telecommunication masts, man holes, crash barriers etc to any NSCDC office near them or call the Command through its hotlines 09166229882 or 08159066244 for prompt response.

The FCT Commandant warned that attacks on crash barriers will not be treated with levity, charging drivers to drive with caution to avoid running into them, also challenged scavengers to stay away from those barricade, adding that if found in possession of any, the full weight of the law will be brought upon them.

Yuletide: NSCDC Warns Against Vandalism of Critical Infrastructure in Abuja

Touray Commends Nigeria’s Role in Thwarting Benin Military Takeover

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday applauded Nigeria’s role in quashing the attempted coup in Benin Republic.

Speaking at the opening of the 55th Ordinary session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level in Abuja, the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray decried that with recent insecurity in the subregion, it won’t be out of place to say that the region is in a state of emergency.

Touray, while extolling the contribution of Nigeria in truncated the overthrow of democratic governance in Benin Republic, asked that Nigeria should be given a standing ovation by the gathering.

Touray noted the swift intervention of Nigeria’s military within a short period to stand off the coupists, insisting that this should be the standard in the region if democracy must be protected.

The ECOWAS Commission President said it won’t be out of place to say that the region is in a state of emergency with the current political situation, terrorism and banditry.

He noted that: “Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.

“Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency. For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organized more regularly beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year. “We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve.

“We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries.”

He therefore called for constant meetings of the mediation and security council beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year, calling for an urgent need to confront these threats with the attention they deserve.

Touray said the region must pool its resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries, while lamenting the scaring humanitarian figure as a fall out of insecurity within the sub-region.

He noted that the recent data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa as of October 2025, is approximately 7.6 million individuals forcibly displayed and an additional 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers.

The ECOWAS President said the different risk levels across the region demands immediate and concerted action.

He listed the risk factors to include the persistence of military interventions (Guinea-Bissau and Republic of Benin just days ago) and non-compliance with transition norms in Guinea, as we face a military leader turning into a civilian leader).

He also highlighted other causes of humanitarian challenge to include growing erosion of electoral inclusivity across multiple states; Expanding influence of Terrorists and Armed Groups and criminal networks threatening regional stability.

Touray pointed out the need for constant monitoring of political situations within member states.

He said: “This Council needs to constantly monitor the political and security situation in our Community, to provide guidance and to enable regional action.”

Touray Commends Nigeria’s Role in Thwarting Benin Military Takeover