Nigeria working hard towards achieving 2030 Education Agenda —FG

THE Federal Government has said that the goals of the Nigerian education system is to build a free and democratic society; a just and egalitarian society, a united, strong and self-reliant nation as well as a great and dynamic economy.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who stated this in Abuja,  noted that the Federal Government is working hard towards achieving the 2030 Education Agenda.

Adamu added that the philosophy of Nigeria is targeted at development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen; the full integration of the individual into the community, and the provision of equal access to educational opportunities for all citizens.

He, however, lamented that these goals had been threatened by the growing insecurity, where school children and teachers were being kidnapped for ransom, saying that to achieve all of these, a secure, peaceful and safe environment is absolutely necessary.

“We must ensure that our schools are safe and protected at all costs,” he said.

While expressing concern about the perennial strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adamu stated that the challenges facing the tertiary education delivery in Nigeria were far from being addressed.

He noted that in its effort to increase access to tertiary education, the ministry of education facilitated the establishment of the new federal specialised universities of science and technology in Jigawa and Akwa-Ibom states, and two universities of health sciences in Bauchi and Osun states.

“In a bid to ensure the smooth take-off of the new universities in the 2022/2023 academic session, the Federal Ministry of Education constituted the ministerial assessment teams, which visited the institutions to ensure that they are in good state for admission of students in 2022,” he said

He further disclosed that the current administration granted scholarship to over 326 Nigerian scholars in foreign and Nigerian tertiary institutions between 2019 and 2022.

Adamu also stated that 891 scholars benefited from the bilateral scholarship awards between 2020 and 2022 in the 12 countries with bilateral education agreement with Nigeria.

“I urge all states scholarship boards to sensitise and create awareness among our youths about the availability of various opportunities,” he noted.

The minister reiterated that the education system of any country is too strategic and sensitive to be treated with levity, adding that it is the fulcrum on which national development hinges and  teachers play important role toward the attainment of the national goals, hence, the need to motivate and improve the quality of their lives.

Adamu disclosed that as part of efforts to strengthen quality assurance, 67 illegal Colleges of Education and 212 illegal study centres were closed down, adding that his administration facilitated the take-off of six new federal Colleges of Education in Sokoto, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Benue, Osun and Edo states for improved access to quality teacher education.