The Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), held a private sector and philanthropy dialogue on education with the theme: “Unlocking Nigeria’s future potential through quality learning for productivity.”
The high-level engagement will lay out the government’s education reforms based on NESRI’s six-point agenda and align private sector leaders around a structured investment mechanism for education.
The event was also attended by Education Minister Tunji Alausa. Minister of Education Suwaiba Ahmad. Jim Ovia, founder of Zenith Bank. and Lacapo Foti, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria. Also present was British Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter. Mr. Omoboide Olusanya, CEO of a flour milling company; Olumide Balogun, Director of West Africa, Google Org. Lucinda Ramos, GPE Senior Education Specialist; Wale Adeosun, CEO of Kuramo Capital Management;
Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Group. Samaira Zubair, CEO of Africa Finance Corporation; and other interested parties.
The National Education Sector Reform Initiative 2026-2030 (NESRI) and Nigeria’s Partnership Compact (2024-2027) focuses on basic and 21st century skills, out-of-school children, gender equality and learning poverty. NESRI’s six-point agenda includes technical and vocational education and training (TVET), STEM, out-of-school children and almajiri, data and digitization, girls’ education, and education quality assurance.
The GPE multiplier puts private sector contributions on par with public and donor resources, effectively amplifying the impact of every dollar on the entire education system.
The event aims to showcase Nigeria’s education reform priorities under NESRI. Collaborate with business leaders and philanthropic organizations to form educational partnerships. Identify opportunities to mobilize private investment and innovation in education. Identify practical partnerships to enhance skills development and workforce readiness. and, inter alia, agree on priority areas for continued partnership and follow-up activities.
Private sector involvement can now support education reform by supporting strategic investments in education initiatives, infrastructure, learning resources, programs that strengthen educational outcomes at scale, and skills development, workforce training, and technical and vocational education partnerships.
According to the Minister of Education, the private sector is key to achieving reforms in the education sector and a public-private sector working committee will be established to develop a framework to monitor private sector investment in education in the country.
Lucinda Ramos, senior education specialist at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), said there must remain a focus on providing access to basic education for all children and called for mutual accountability among all stakeholders.
Mr Baxter said: “The Global Partnership for Education continues to help Nigeria strengthen its education system at scale, improve basic learning, reach the most excluded populations and align domestic reforms with international finance. We also congratulate Italy and Nigeria for their joint global leadership in replenishing the Global Partnership for Education 2026.”
“This is an important signal of our shared commitment and ambition to mobilize the resources needed to expand quality education to the world’s most marginalized children. Together, LEAF and GPE demonstrate how innovation at the state level and reform at the national level can reinforce each other by focusing public, private and philanthropic capital to build the human capital that supports growth, stability and opportunity.”
