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The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Aisha Garba, has declared that Nigeria’s education sector is facing a “crisis of great magnitude,” requiring the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to ensure quality basic education for children.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting co-hosted by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and UBEC in Abuja, Garba highlighted the dual challenges of the country’s massive out-of-school population—recently estimated by UNESCO at 20 million—and the growing learning crisis, where children enrolled in schools fail to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills.
According to a statement on Friday, the meeting brought together top education policymakers from all 36 states alongside technical experts and development partners from the World Bank, European Union, and UNICEF.
In her opening address, Garba warned that the future of millions of children and the nation’s overall development were at risk, emphasising the urgent need for synergy among stakeholders.
As part of efforts to address the crisis, she unveiled the HOPE-EDU programme, a major government initiative developed in partnership with international donors.
“Through the HOPE-EDU programme, a $552 million partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the World Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education, we are responding with the urgency this crisis demands.
“This bold, strategic, and multisectoral initiative is designed to address foundational learning gaps and reduce the number of out-of-school children through coordinated, state-led action”, she announced.
Speaking further, she said, “Our country is facing an education crisis of great magnitude. Millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, while many of those enrolled are not acquiring the foundational literacy and numeracy skills essential for lifelong success.
“These gaps are not just academic—they represent lost opportunities, widened inequality, and weakened national development. The time has come to change this narrative.”
Garba noted that the aim of the meeting was to move beyond dialogue and develop concrete, evidence-based strategies to rescue a generation of learners.
The workshop served as a platform for state officials to review existing policies and explore the potential for scaling up successful interventions, including the use of educational technology.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the education sector.
She emphasised that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is already guiding policy actions across relevant ministries and agencies.
Roundtable sessions at the dialogue featured robust discussions, with state commissioners and SUBEB chairpersons directly engaging with development partners to identify persistent challenges and explore new solutions.
Organisers expressed hope that the meeting would spark the creation of a permanent support hub, giving education officials continuous access to data-driven strategies and successful models to drive and sustain reform.
Stakeholders at the event agreed that the dialogue marked more than just another meeting—it was a crucial turning point in efforts to reclaim the promise of education in Nigeria.
