Shettima flags out-of-school children as a national emergency Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking yesterday in Abuja, warned that the growing number of out-of-school children constituted a “national emergency” and called for urgent collaboration between government, private sector actors, and communities to tackle the crisis.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on General Duties, Aliyu Modibbo Umar, at the opening of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum, Shettima stressed that Nigeria had reached a critical point where traditional government-only funding models were insufficient.
“The burden cannot rest on government alone. We must enlist private sector actors, industry leaders, alumni networks, philanthropists, and communities to co-invest in laboratories, research centres, vocational hubs, innovation clusters, and endowment funds,” he said.
The forum, organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education, focused on the theme: “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between Town and Gown in Nigeria.” Shettima highlighted key funding milestones under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to include Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC.
The vice president also said President Bola Ahmed administration is working steadfastly towards fulfilling the promise of building an educated nation. While stressing that Nigeria could no longer depend exclusively on traditional models of government-only funding, the Vice President said the country “must transition towards a system that is collaborative, innovative, and resilient.”
He expressed relief that the Forum arrived “at an inflection point in our national journey.”
Reeling out some notable strides by the Tinubu administration in the education sector, Shettima stated: “Over the past three years, this Administration has shown clear and steady commitment to education financing. Allocations rose from N1.54 trillion in 2023 to N2.18 trillion in 2024, and now to N3.52 trillion in 2025 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope plan. “This growth reflects our belief that education is the foundation of national stability, progress, and prosperity. We strengthened this investment through key agencies. TETFUND’s budget grew from N320.3 billion in 2023 to N683.4 billion in 2024 and now to N1.6 trillion in 2025. UBEC has expanded its reach.
“Twenty-five states and the FCT have accessed N92.4 billion in matching grants. Another N19 billion has supported teacher development in 32 states and the FCT. A further NI .5 billion has reached more than 1,147 communities.”
In his welcome address, the Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor, AdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said that with 43 per cent of its population under the age 14 years and another 33 per cent between 15 and 24 years old, Nigeria’s demographic trajectory presents an extraordinary opportunity for wise and systemic investment.
Nigeria’s education budget has surged to N3.52 trillion in 2025 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, marking a dramatic increase from N1.54 trillion in 2023.
‘Education budget soars to N3.52 trillion under Tinubu’
VP Kashim Shettima
