Nigeria Now Has Credible Education Data for Better Resource Allocation — Alausa

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has revealed that the federal government now possesses credible and reliable education data that will improve how resources are allocated across the country’s education sector.

The minister made this known during the Education World Forum held in London, where he met with global education stakeholders and ministers to discuss Nigeria’s ongoing reforms in foundational learning and education development.

According to Alausa, the government has successfully unified foundational literacy programmes under a single national standard covering both formal and non-formal education systems, a move expected to strengthen accountability and improve learning outcomes nationwide.

He explained that the federal government is currently expanding the implementation of the RANA programme for Primary 1 to Primary 3 pupils, while also deploying the “Teaching at the Right Level” initiative for Primary 4 to Primary 6 learners across 15 states through the Universal Basic Education Commission.

The minister noted that the programmes rely on structured lesson plans, continuous teacher coaching, and regular assessments aimed at improving literacy and numeracy among school children.

Alausa further disclosed that the Accelerated Basic Education Programme developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council is helping out-of-school children and adolescents achieve foundational literacy and numeracy within three years.

According to him, both formal and non-formal learning systems are now connected through the National Education Data Initiative, enabling the government to monitor education coverage nationwide from a single dashboard for the first time.

He described the development as a major breakthrough in Nigeria’s efforts to address long-standing challenges in education planning, transparency, and policy implementation.

Speaking on the country’s out-of-school children crisis, the minister said the Accelerated Basic Education Programme now provides a recognised pathway for children outside the formal school system to transition into junior secondary education.

He added that both formal schools and ABEP centres now use the same learning materials, coaching tools, and supervision system across participating states, helping to ensure uniform quality and lower operational costs.

Alausa also stated that the newly deployed National Education Data Initiative had already exposed major gaps in donor funding effectiveness, allowing the government to identify areas where interventions are underperforming.

The minister stressed that foundational literacy and numeracy remain key priorities under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Programme.

He revealed that the federal government is finalising a national policy on foundational literacy and numeracy to create a sustainable legal and institutional framework for reforms across federal, state, and non-formal education systems.

According to Alausa, Nigeria’s partnership compact with the Global Partnership for Education ties 70 percent of funding to measurable outcomes in learning performance, teacher management, and data utilisation.

The minister also announced plans by the federal government to increase the share of the Universal Basic Education Commission from the consolidated revenue fund from two percent to four percent as part of efforts to improve education financing in Nigeria.