Alausa targets 10m votes for Tinubu’s re-election

By Mariam Abeeb

The Federal Government has outlined major milestones achieved under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, reaffirming the administration’s drive to modernize learning while mobilizing political support across academic communities.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Dr. Alausa stated that ongoing reforms under the six-pillar NESRI program are expanding vocational training, upgrading teacher qualifications, and strengthening science education to equip Nigerian youths with relevant skills.

According to the minister, the government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scheme has recorded significant traction, receiving over 1.3 million applications.

He noted that 160,000 young Nigerians have been matched with training programs, while approximately N13.98 billion has been disbursed to trainees and accredited training centers nationwide, with payments ongoing.

“The TVET initiative provides tuition-free technical education, monthly stipends, and structured pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

“This forms a core part of our commitment to reducing youth unemployment and building a skilled workforce,” Alausa said.

Highlighting additional NESRI milestones, Alausa pointed to the deployment of the Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) to digitize sector management, alongside the EduRevamp teacher development portal, which has registered over 51,500 educators.

He added that the ministry is expanding funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEMM), while scaling targeted interventions to reintegrate out-of-school children and expand girl-child education.

The minister’s policy updates coincided with political remarks congratulating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the successful launch of his campaign in Kaduna State, which Alausa described as evidence of strong public trust in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Serving as Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council’s Education Mobilisation Working Group, Alausa reaffirmed the group’s goal to mobilize 10 million votes from the academic sector—spanning universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics—ahead of the 2027 general election.

He pledged that the Federal Ministry of Education will continue to collaborate with key stakeholders to sustain NESRI’s implementation and deliver measurable improvements in educational quality nationwide.