Alausa Urges States to Embrace Data-Driven Reforms, Unlock $552m Education Fund

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has urged state governments to deepen collaboration with the Federal Government and adopt data-driven planning to accelerate reforms in Nigeria’s education sector.

He also called on states to meet the requirements for accessing the World Bank-backed $552 million HOPE Education Programme, saying the fund could significantly improve learning outcomes, governance and access to quality education across the country.

Alausa spoke at the opening of a five-day Executive Retreat for Commissioners of Education, organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN), where he said President Bola Tinubu’s education reforms would only achieve their objectives through strong federal-state partnership and evidence-based decision-making.

According to the minister, education remains central to the Renewed Hope Agenda because of its role in driving economic growth, national security and sustainable development.

He noted that while the Federal Government is responsible for policy direction and strategic interventions, the bulk of education service delivery rests with state governments.

“The responsibility for delivering quality education rests largely with the states, making stronger collaboration indispensable to achieving meaningful and lasting reforms,” he said.

Alausa commended COSCEN, led by its Chairman, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, for organising the retreat, describing it as an important platform for strengthening leadership, promoting peer learning and enhancing cooperation among education stakeholders.

The minister announced the deployment of the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), describing them as key pillars of the Federal Government’s drive to eliminate guesswork in education planning.

He explained that the digital platforms would provide real-time information on school enrolment, teacher deployment, infrastructure, learning outcomes and other critical indicators required for planning, budgeting and resource allocation.

According to him, the integrated system will harmonise education data from schools, local governments, states and federal institutions into a single interoperable platform, improving transparency, accountability and service delivery.

Alausa urged all states to complete their Annual School Census using the digitised platform, while commending Kaduna and Borno states for the progress already made in implementing the initiative.

He disclosed that the ministry had deployed digital dashboards and smart boards to support evidence-based planning, with technical support from the National Bureau of Statistics to strengthen education data management nationwide.

The minister also urged commissioners to take advantage of the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme, which provides $552 million in performance-based financing to states that meet agreed benchmarks.

He expressed concern that although all 36 states are eligible to participate, several have yet to fulfil key requirements, including signing Subsidiary Loan Agreements, opening designated programme accounts and complying with mandatory data reporting obligations.

Alausa encouraged the commissioners to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to satisfy the programme conditions and unlock additional funding for education reforms.

To sustain ongoing reforms, he proposed quarterly meetings of state commissioners of education to review progress, exchange ideas and strengthen accountability across the federation.

He also highlighted other priorities under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), including expanding affordable digital learning technologies, offline instructional platforms, digital learning resources from primary to senior secondary schools and teacher support tools.

The minister, however, cautioned against concentrating investments solely on expensive smart school infrastructure without making adequate provisions for maintenance.

“Quality instructional materials, effective teacher support and conducive learning environments remain the most critical drivers of improved learning outcomes,” he said.

Alausa stressed that education should remain a shared national responsibility beyond political considerations, urging stakeholders to institutionalise reliable education data, strengthen accountability and sustain reforms capable of delivering measurable improvements.

He formally declared the retreat open with a call on commissioners to “embrace evidence over assumptions, collaboration over isolation and continuity over fragmented reforms.”

In his keynote address titled Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption, former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, urged education commissioners to build reforms that would outlive political administrations.

Chidoka argued that lasting progress in the education sector depends on policy continuity, quality data, improved teacher development, accountability and sustained investment in learning outcomes.

Also speaking, the World Bank’s Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme, Shin Nomura, who represented the Country Director, Matthew Verghis, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reforms.

Nomura said the programme, which became operational in March 2026, was designed to strengthen education governance, financing, teacher development, learning outcomes and data systems through a performance-based financing model, urging states to complete all necessary requirements to access the funds.