Education
FG Promises to Raise Education Budget to 25%
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has promised to increase the budget for education to 25 per cent, according to the Minister of Education, Mr Tahir Mamman.
The Minister said this at the Nigeria Annual Education Conference (NAEC) in Abuja on Monday, themed Implementation of Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Nigeria.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu to improve the quality of education in the country through the right policies.
The United Nations suggested to the federal government to increase its current budgetary allocation to the education sector from seven to 20 per cent in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 — universal, inclusive and equitable basic education for all school-age children by 2030.
For years, Nigeria’s allocation to the education sector has been below the recommended benchmark for developing nations.
In the 2023 budget, the sector got N1.79 trillion — representing 8.2 per cent of the appropriation bill — according to Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the former minister of finance, budget, and national planning.
Giving a further breakdown, the former minister said N103.29 billion was allocated to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), while transfers to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for infrastructure projects in tertiary institutions is N248.27 billion.
Mrs Ahmed added that N470 billion was allocated for tertiary education revitalisation and salary enhancement.
For context, the education sector got the second largest allocation in the budget after the defence and security sectors which account for N2.98 trillion — representing 13.4 per cent of the budget.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) recommended that member nations should earmark four to six per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or 15 to 20 of public expenditure (annual budget) to fund education.
However, UNESCO said “the majority of countries have not yet reached this threshold.”
The 2023 allocation to the sector was an increase from that of last year’s budget, which gave education N923.79 billion representing 5.4 per cent of the N17.23 trillion budget.
The minister also pledged his commitment to bridge the gaps between education policy statements and its actualisation outcomes.
He noted that the country had a lot of good policies on what was required to be done in the best interest of the nation but that those policies were not bringing value to the sector.
“President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.
”We still have a long way to go. We are not matching the children in the country with the desired education because our policies are not producing the values we need.
“What we need is the action on the ground and not the policy declaration. This is where I can tell you we intend to come in.
“We want to bridge the gaps between policy statements and actualisation of outcomes.
“This is to give them future training that will enable them to live their lives and make them employers of labour. Everybody deserves to live a life of dignity for the well-being of their family,” he said.
He said that the responsibility of government was to provide opportunities for Nigerians to be empowered, adding that now is the time to make the policies a reality.
He also said that basic and secondary schools must be equipped by developing appropriate skills templates for creativity and research.
“We know that society that had benefitted from education is known for nurturing of creativity and research which starts from the lower levels,” he said.
He said there was a need for implementation strategies to provide mechanisms for constant monitoring and evaluation of policies to ensure the SDG goals were achieved.
The minister expressed concern over the state of insecurity in the schools and nation at large, lamenting the recent killing of one Miss Deborah Atanda, a nursing student of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, a few days ago.
He, however, directed the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, in concerted efforts with the security, to uncover the perpetrators of the killing.
He charged stakeholders to work with the Federal Ministry of Education and agencies as well as State Ministries of Education to identify innovative approaches for improved funding and ensuring inclusive, equitable, quality education and life-long opportunities.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Online learning platforms, Coursera and Udemy, have reached an agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, with the combined company’s implied equity value estimated at approximately $2.5 billion.
The agreement, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards of directors, stipulates that Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy share held.
Upon completion of the merger, Coursera shareholders are expected to own about 59 per cent and Udemy shareholders approximately 41 per cent of the new entity on a fully diluted basis.
The combined company will continue under the Coursera name, and maintain its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Coursera, founded in 2012 by Mr Andrew Ng and Ms Daphne Koller, is an online learning platform with 191 million registered users as of September 30, 2025. It collaborates with over 375 universities and industry partners to offer courses, specialisations, professional certificates, and degrees.
The platform includes features such as generative AI (gen AI) tools (Coach, Role Play, Course Builder) and role-based solutions (Skills Tracks) to support scalable and personalised learning. Coursera is used by institutions for workforce development in fields such as gen AI, data science, technology, and business.
Udemy is a platform that provides on-demand, multi-language courses to help companies and individuals develop technical, business, and soft skills. It uses AI to offer personalised learning experiences and supports workforce development in a changing workplace.
Mr Greg Hart, currently CEO of Coursera, is set to lead the enlarged organisation as CEO after the merger.
The board will consist of nine members. Six from Coursera’s board, including chairman Mr Ng and CEO Mr Hart, and three from Udemy’s board.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in which AI is rapidly redefining the skills required for every job across every industry.
“Organisations and individuals around the world need a platform that is as agile as the new and emerging skills learners must master,” Mr Hart said.
The combination is said to create a complete ecosystem of top instructors supported by AI tools, data-driven insights, and broader distribution, enabling more engaging, personalised, and dynamic learning at scale.
Projected operational efficiencies include anticipated annual run-rate cost synergies of $115m within two years after closing.
Udemy CEO, Mr Hugo Sarrazin said: “For more than 15 years, Udemy has helped millions of people master in-demand skills at the speed of innovation.
“Through this combination with Coursera, we will create meaningful benefits for our learners, enterprise customers, and instructors, while delivering significant value to our shareholders, who will participate in the substantial upside potential of the combined company.”
The merger is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory clearances, approval by both companies’ shareholders, and other customary closing conditions.
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