Education Under Tinubu: So Far So Good

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's goal for the Nigerian education sector, "Better Education for All" under the Renewed Hope package has achieved laudable and unprecedented feats in less than two years with most of them recorded under the stewardship of Dr. Tunji Alausa.  However, despite the strenuous efforts of the President's media team led by Bayo Onanuga, a media grandmaster, and the recently appointed inimitable Honourable Daniel Bwala at communicating the President's policies and achievements, these success stories are not being given due ovation for various reasons beyond the scope of this piece.

Dr. Tunji Alausa: Education Minister 

Some of the innovative and progressive achievements of President Bola Tinubu administration are enumerated in this piece.

Policy

Sound policy is the foundation for the success of any organisation. President Bola Tinubu showed he is thinking outside the box when he rolled out system-wide policies in April, 2024. The policies under the acronym of DOTS translating to, Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development & Acquisition are carefully designed to comprehensively overhaul the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment, and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children.

Mr. Bayo Onanuga: Head of Tinubu's Media Team

The administration has also ensured a holistic review of existing policies on education through the National Council on Education, NCE, the body responsible for education policy with the Honourable Minister providing the leadership. The Council has convened regularly aside extraordinary sessions to address issues as and when necessary. For instance, the Council had an extraordinary session earlier this February where the following policy issues were addressed:

*National Language Policy

*National Policy on Education

*Nigeria’s First Anti-Bullying Policy

*The Repositioning of Federal Science & Technology Colleges (FSTCs) to Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) and

*The Reversal of the 16-year-old age enrolment criteria for tertiary institutions." 

The issue of Nomadic Education was also discussed.

In addition, the Council at the session extended compulsory basic education from 9 years to 12. Dr. Alausa explained that this was important in reducing drop out rate, reducing the number of out-of-school children, reversing regression of knowledge and better equipment of school leavers.

In the same vein the Honourable Minister recently announced a shift towards the STEM based education.

The administration has ensured the policy directions and changes are knowledge based, accepted by all stakeholders and poised to take the nation to greater heights.

Hon. Daniel Bwala: Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication 

Staff Welfare

President Tinubu has demonstrated his commitment to improved welfare for educators and supporting staff by offsetting part of the lingering outstanding arrears owed universities lecturers. This has ensured better harmony and the fact ASSU has not gone on strike since under Tinubu is the best testimony to this. If the tren persists, Tinubu will go down in history as the first president since 1999 that did not record university lecturers' strike within the first two years of his administration.

The thorny issue of the inclusion of universities in the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System IPPIS has been laid to rest with the government approving their exit from the scheme. Furthermore, workers receive their salaries timely since the administration came on board.

Education Loan Scheme 

President Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024. Act into law on April 3, 2024, signalling a new beginning in education financing and accessibility in Nigeria. The Act established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, which provides sustainable interest free loans to students with the aim to making higher education accessible to all Nigerians. The Fund has benefited over three hundred thousand students in under a year while more are scheduled to come on board early this year with the recent opening of the portal for registration.

Establishment of new Institutions 

To further ensure greater access to quality education, the Tinubu administration has ensured the take off of universities established only in name by President Buhari while establishing new ones as well as other higher institutions of learning. The criteria for new Institutions under Tinubu includes, national need, access and inclusiveness.

Better and Sustainable Funding

As nothing good comes cheap, President Tinubu has matched words with action by ensuring better and sustainable funding for the education sector in Nigeria. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, alone receives an allocation of close to one trillion Naira in the 2025 budget. The Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly also makes provision for huge sums to the Fund over the years to build up a sustainable pool. Aside TETFUND, NELFUND and all agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education have enjoyed improved funding under the Tinubu government.

Provision of Infrastructure 

Realising the decay in education infrastructure in Nigeria and to ensure better learning environment, the Tinubu administration, in the 2025 Federal budget, makes a provision of 828 billion Naira for education infrastructure alone. Another testament to the commitment of President Tinubu to deliver Better Education for All is the disclosure by the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, January that the Tinubu administration spent 27 billion Naira on education infrastructure in just Bwari Area Council.

Legal Framework 

The government recognises that institutions and policies cannot operate successfully without proper and enabling laws. It has therefore, rooted it's policies and actions within the extant laws while reforming those that need reform and sponsoring new laws.

Conclusion

Some of us did not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu initially. However, patriotism, integrity and good sense mandate all good citizens to appraise actions and pronouncements of leaders without bias and support those that are proven to be done for the advancement of our nation such as these innovative achievements in the education sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.