Tinubu’s Education Reforms Deliver ₦372.62bn Student Loans, Enrol 156,000 in TVET
Tinubu’s Education Reforms Deliver ₦372.62bn Student Loans, Enrol 156,000 in TVET
Federal Government secures $552m for basic education, returns over one million out-of-school children, rehabilitates technical colleges
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has recorded significant progress in Nigeria’s education sector, with reforms resulting in the disbursement of ₦372.62 billion in student loans, the enrolment of more than 156,000 beneficiaries in technical and vocational education, and the return of over one million out-of-school children to classrooms.
The achievements were highlighted in the 2026 report of the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), released by the Federal Ministry of Education, according to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
The report said the reforms, introduced since Tinubu assumed office, were aimed at expanding access to education, improving teachers’ welfare, strengthening technical and vocational training, and stabilising the academic calendar in tertiary institutions.
The interventions focus on six priority areas: technical and vocational education, science and medical sciences, out-of-school children, girl-child education, digitalisation, and education quality assurance.
FG allocates ₦3.52trn to education
According to the report, the Federal Government allocated ₦3.52 trillion to education in the 2026 budget and secured $552 million for the HOPE-EDU programme, designed to benefit 29 million children, more than 500,000 teachers, and 65,000 public schools.
The report also disclosed that the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme had returned more than one million out-of-school children to learning, trained 1,400 Tsangaya teachers, and established 200 bilingual centres across 17 northern states.
Similarly, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme has reached 7.19 million girls, with 3.7 million enrolled in secondary schools, while more than 10,000 schools have benefited from improved facilities.
Curriculum reforms, teacher development underway
The NESRI report stated that the administration had introduced a revised national curriculum that reintroduced Nigerian History and strengthened Civic and Heritage Studies.
It added that the National Learning Assessment had been restored to monitor pupils’ academic performance and identify learning gaps.
Under the EduRevamp initiative, 53,553 teachers have registered, while 51,794 enrolled in the first cohort of the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP), a six-month programme offering professional qualifications, certification, and licensing.
Backed by ₦2 billion, the initiative targets 250,000 teachers by 2027.
The report further highlighted the Inspire Live initiative, which provides online lessons from Primary One to Senior Secondary School Three, supported by certified teachers and artificial intelligence-assisted learning.
TVET attracts 2.8 million applications
The Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme has attracted more than 2.8 million applications, with 156,446 verified trainees benefiting from free training, monthly stipends, and start-up support.
According to the report, more than ₦65.7 billion has been disbursed to trainees, while ₦30.2 billion has gone to training centres.
The government has also rehabilitated 38 technical colleges and introduced free technical education covering tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms.
NELFUND disburses ₦372.62bn in student loans
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), described as one of the administration’s flagship education initiatives, has processed 1,659,853 student loan applications and disbursed ₦372.62 billion to beneficiaries across 319 tertiary institutions.
The disbursement comprises ₦192.89 billion for tuition fees and ₦179.73 billion for students’ upkeep allowances.
The report also stated that the administration had resolved the longstanding dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and implemented an agreement providing a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration alongside improved welfare benefits.
Additionally, the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund has disbursed ₦28 billion to 15,000 workers across 153 public institutions, providing eligible staff with loans of up to ₦10 million for housing, healthcare, transportation, and education.
FG invests ₦110bn in medical and STEMM education
The Federal Government is investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 18 federal medical schools across the six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to strengthen medical education and healthcare training.
Nursing enrolment reportedly increased from 81,480 in 2023 to 114,300 in 2025.
The administration has also approved 20 STEM-focused tertiary institutions and earmarked 12 engineering and technology faculties for rehabilitation.
Research, innovation receive fresh funding
The report further highlighted government investments in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
It said the Federal Government provides ₦365 million annually for research and innovation through the National Laureate Prize, while the Student Venture Capital Grant has disbursed more than ₦2.5 billion to 45 student entrepreneurs.
Each beneficiary is eligible for up to ₦50 million in equity-free funding.
Entrepreneurship certification is ongoing in 14 federal universities, while the Diaspora BRIDGE initiative has registered 1,141 Nigerian experts abroad, reaching 16,675 students across 107 tertiary institutions.
Alausa: Impact on beneficiaries is the real measure
Speaking on the reported achievements, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the success of the Tinubu administration’s education reforms would be measured by their impact on students, teachers, and institutions rather than the volume of funding or number of programmes introduced.
“Our measure of success is not merely the amount of money allocated to education or the number of programmes introduced. It is the difference these interventions make in the lives of our children, students, teachers and institutions,” Alausa said.
The statement was issued by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, on November 4, 2026.
