The Minister for Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has outlined a new strategy focused on advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and enhancing the overall quality of learning in the country.

The Minister stated this in Abuja while declaring open the stakeholders’ consultative dialogue on the Education Sector Renewal Initiative (ESRI) 2024-2027.

Dr. Alausa said his strategic goals include reducing the number of out-of-school children, addressing learning poverty, and enhancing skills development and human capital for the labour market.

The Minister restated the Ministry’s commitment to providing quality education in line with global standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that achieving this required collaboration with development partners, stakeholders, and the private sector.

He also emphasised the integration of out-of-school children (OOSC) and Almajiris into formal education, alongside initiatives such as conditional cash transfers, school feeding programme, and Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) for the education of girls and vulnerable populations.

Alausa also stressed the importance of strengthened governance and management in the education sector, which involves organisational reforms of relevant institutions, enhanced oversight of programmes and subnational implementation.

Also in her welcome address, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba, acknowledged the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector, including infrastructural issues, inadequate funding, poor teacher development, and the out-of-school children crisis.

Additionally, they announced plans to build a robust data architecture and strengthen the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to improve decision-making and accountability across the sector.

On their part, some of the Development Partners declared their readiness to continue to support the Education Sector in terms of funding and provision of infrastructure.