The Federal Government has announced plans to leverage the potential of public-private partnership (PPP) in addressing the persistent infrastructural deficit and decay in public schools nationwide.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the committee saddled with drafting guidelines and implementing PPP projects in the sector, deplored the conditions of most federal government colleges and announced the government’s readiness to address the rot.

Alausa reminded that education is capital-intensive, noting that with the scale of infrastructural deficits, government alone cannot fix the system.

Subsequently, he canvassed the urgent need to attract private sector funding through PPP, to rebuild infrastructure across all levels of education in the country.

He said the inauguration of the committee, chaired by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, marked a significant step in enhancing public-private partnerships aimed at improving learning in public schools.

Alausa urged the committee to focus particularly on PPP opportunities in secondary education, so that the framework would assist the government in revamping the Unity Schools nationwide.

Their terms of reference include reviewing existing frameworks, drafting clear guidelines, defining roles, and proposing measurable key performance indicators for PPP projects.

The committee, which has three months to submit its report, has as members officials of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and key directorates within the Federal Ministry of Education.

Alausa said the move is a strategic effort to attract private sector investment and improve infrastructure across all tiers of education, especially in neglected community colleges.

He noted that the initiative would not only enhance transparency in PPP arrangements but also ensure the sector benefits from sustainable private investment.

“We have to leverage private sector funding to help improve, modernise, advance, and sustain our educational system. Some of these schools are so overcrowded and dilapidated, they don’t even have access to light or water,” Alausa lamented.

The Minister added that the new committee would also be responsible for setting up a standardised oversight mechanism to monitor private sector compliance and ensure that project delivery timelines are met.

According to him, there is a need to think outside the box and be innovative in solving the numerous challenges confronting the sector.

While acknowledging the role of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the area of infrastructural development, Alausa noted that private sector intervention is needed to bridge the gaps.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, said the PPP initiative will go a long way in addressing the infrastructural challenges in public schools.