The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with the private sector to promote sustainable development and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria’s education system. The Federal Ministry of Education announced this at a high-level roundtable in Lagos, calling on key private sector stakeholders to deepen cooperation and mobilize more investment.
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with the private sector to promote sustainable development and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria’s education system.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced this at a high-level roundtable held in Lagos, calling on key private sector stakeholders to deepen cooperation and mobilize more investment in the sector.
The conference brought together 32 representatives from sectors including telecommunications, finance, energy, construction, development partners and academia, reflecting a broader commitment to strengthening education provision.
Participants include leading organizations such as MTN Foundation, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Group, African Finance Corporation, NLNG, Sahara Group, Oando Group, Seplat Energy, Airtel Africa Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), and Julius Berger Ltd.
Government officials included academic experts as well as representatives from the British High Commission, the Italian Embassy and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Opening the session, the Education Minister called for increased cooperation, setting the tone for discussions focused on investment, innovation and long-term impact.
Education Minister Marouf Tunzi Alausa outlined achievements under the ‘New Hopes’ agenda, highlighting reforms driven by policy innovation, data utilization, digital transformation and strengthened partnerships.
GPE representatives emphasized the need to increase private sector investment, particularly in skills development, to expand access and maximize the impact of funding.
Development partners, including the UK and Italy, reaffirmed their support for Nigeria’s education sector through funding initiatives such as the GPE Multiplier.
Private sector stakeholders advocated a structured public-private partnership framework and proposed the creation of a council to ensure policy coherence, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
During the conference, Airtel Africa Foundation announced plans to support digital learning through curriculum rollout in primary schools, provision of zero-rating data for teacher training, expanding internet connectivity and supporting online education initiatives.
The Department also announced follow-up engagement plans to unlock GPE Multiplier funding, including mobilizing private sector champions, encouraging crowdfunding, and establishing a public-private education technology working group.
A technical working group, co-chaired by the Minister of Education and the Minister responsible for education, is expected to develop a comprehensive framework to strengthen governance, policy alignment, and impact measurement of public and private education investments.
Officials said the framework will strengthen coordination, improve planning and ensure accountability among stakeholders working to develop Nigeria’s education sector.
