Nigeria’s education budget soars to N3.52trn under Tinubu administration – Shettima
Nigeria’s education sector has received a significant boost under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with the national education budget jumping to N3.52 trillion in 2025, Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced on Tuesday.
The figure marks a substantial increase from N1.54 trillion in 2023, signaling the administration’s commitment to addressing the country’s learning crisis and preparing a globally competitive population.
Shettima made the announcement at the opening of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum on Tuesday in Abuja, an event organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education.
The forum, themed “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between Town and Gown in Nigeria,” gathered stakeholders from across the education landscape.
Represented by Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, Special Adviser to the President on General Duties, Shettima highlighted the urgent need to tackle the country’s growing population of out-of-school children, which he described as a “national emergency.”
He called for a collaborative approach, urging government, private sector actors, alumni networks, philanthropists, and communities to co-invest in educational infrastructure, vocational hubs, innovation clusters, and research centres.
According to the Vice-President, the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda has driven significant increases across key educational agencies.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) budget, for instance, has grown from N320.3 billion in 2023 to N1.6 trillion in 2025, while the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has distributed N92.4 billion in matching grants to 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Additionally, N19 billion has been allocated to teacher development across 32 states and the FCT, reaching more than 1,147 communities.
Individual state UBE grants have increased from roughly N1.3 billion to over N3.3 billion, enabling states to access over N6.6 billion through counterpart funding arrangements.
Shettima also highlighted the impact of the newly established Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), under the Students’ Loans Act of 2024, which has already disbursed N86.3 billion to more than 450,000 students in 218 tertiary institutions nationwide.
“This fund signals a new era where no Nigerian is denied tertiary education for lack of funds,” he said.
The Vice-President underscored that safe and well-equipped schools, adequate teacher training, and professional recognition are essential to resolving Nigeria’s learning crisis.
He urged deliberate collaboration across federal, state, and local governments, emphasizing prompt counterpart funding, transparent resource utilization, and strict adherence to action plans.
“Since education begins in the community, local governments and traditional institutions must take responsibility for infrastructure development, school maintenance, security, and teacher welfare,” Shettima said.
In his address, Shettima reinforced the notion that education is not just a line item in the national budget but the foundation of Nigeria’s national identity, the engine of economic transformation, and a shield for collective security.
“Nothing threatens a civilisation more than an uneducated generation. Nations rise when their people are equipped with knowledge and skills to imagine and build a better future,” he said.
