Again, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has pledged to mobilise 10 million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid through stakeholders across Nigeria’s education sector, following the launch of the All Progressives Congress campaign in Kaduna State.
The mobilisation drive will cover universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and other educational institutions nationwide, with the minister banking on the administration’s education reforms to galvanise support for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Mr. Ikharo Attah, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, quoting Alausa as saying the Kaduna campaign launch had energised the APC PCC Education Mobilisation Working Group, which he chairs in Abuja, to intensify its nationwide engagements.
The minister described the turnout at the event as a sign of growing confidence in the administration’s policies and reforms.
Alausa also highlighted progress under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the Federal Ministry of Education’s six-pillar reform programme designed to expand access to education, improve learning outcomes and develop a skills-driven, knowledge-based economy.
He identified the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme as a key component of the initiative, noting that it provides tuition-free vocational training, monthly stipends and pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.
According to figures published on the ministry’s NESRI portal, the TVET programme has attracted more than 1.3 million applications, matched 160,000 young Nigerians with training opportunities and disbursed approximately ₦13.98 billion to training centres and trainees, with payments ongoing.
“These initiatives are opening new opportunities for young Nigerians, strengthening teaching and learning, and positioning education as a driver of skills, innovation and national development,” Alausa said.
Other interventions under NESRI include the Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), aimed at strengthening education data management, and the EduRevamp teacher development platform, which has registered more than 51,500 teachers.
The initiative also prioritises investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM), alongside targeted interventions for out-of-school children and girl-child education.
The minister said the Kaduna campaign launch had provided fresh momentum for the mobilisation group to expand its nationwide engagements and communicate the impact of the administration’s education reforms to stakeholders.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing NESRI in collaboration with education stakeholders, with a focus on improving access, skills development, learning outcomes and the overall quality of education across the country.
