GBAJABIAMILA AFFIRMS EDUCATION REMAINS PILLAR OF PRESIDENT TINUBU’S RENEWED HOPE AGENDA
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday emphasized that education will remain a cornerstone of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, calling it a crucial driver for Nigeria’s competitiveness in a knowledge-based global economy.
Gbajabiamila made the remarks in Abuja during the 2026 International Day for Education Conference, themed “Re-imagining the Future of Education in Nigeria: Collaborative Solutions for a Brighter Tomorrow,” organized by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
Observed annually on January 24, the International Day of Education aims to empower youth as active partners in shaping education, recognizing their role in creating learning systems that are more inclusive, relevant, and future-focused.
The day also underscores the urgency of addressing the education crisis that leaves millions of children out of school, while promoting peace, sustainable development, and economic growth.
Speaking, Gbajabiamila recalled that as Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, he sponsored the Students’ Loans Bill to ensure that no qualified Nigerian would be denied access to tertiary education due to financial hardship.
Access to education, he said, must be determined by merit and potential rather than privilege.
Gbajabiamila noted that within the first three months of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the bill was assented to, leading to the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which has since disbursed billions of naira to eligible students nationwide.
He described
the development as evidence of education’s strategic importance within the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The former Speaker also praised the 10th House of Representatives for enhancing oversight of tertiary education funding, promoting student welfare programs, and implementing reforms to improve transparency and accountability in the sector.
“As Chief of Staff to the President, you can always count on my support. Education will continue to be at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Nigeria’s brightest future will be shaped in the classrooms we strengthen today,” he affirmed.
Gbajabiamila emphasized that education remains the most dependable pathway to national development, describing it as a critical factor in Nigeria’s ability to compete in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.
“Education is the bridge between potential and productivity; between aspiration and achievement,” he said, noting that no nation can compete globally without sustained investment in learning.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Speaker on International Cooperation and Educational Development, Abisoye Da Rocha-Afodu, said the International Day of Education was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 to recognise education as a fundamental human right.
She noted that Nigeria has over 20 million out-of-school children — the highest number globally — and continues to grapple with weak infrastructure, poor teacher welfare, outdated curricula and limited access to technology.
According to her, the conference was convened to bring together lawmakers, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to identify practical and sustainable solutions to these challenges.
She stressed the need for stronger partnerships among government institutions, the private sector and communities to expand access to inclusive and quality education, particularly for girls and persons with disabilities.
Although the International Day of Education is observed globally on January 24, she explained that the conference was held in February due to the National Assembly’s recess in January.
The timing, she added, was also intended to allow for meaningful engagement before Ramadan and to encourage stakeholders to address critical issues around funding, security and accountability in the education sector.
On accountability, Da Rocha-Afodu disclosed that the House is working on legislative measures to ensure periodic reporting and transparent utilisation of funds allocated to education programmes.
Also addressing the gathering, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, Fuad Laguda, noted that the conference offered a valuable platform to evaluate Nigeria’s education system against international benchmarks.
He highlighted that inadequate funding remains a major challenge, especially for polytechnics and higher technical institutions, which play a vital role in skills development and industrial growth.
Laguda stressed that meaningful reform requires coordinated efforts across multiple sectors, pointing out that participants from diverse backgrounds came together to foster collaboration and agree on actionable solutions.
He asserted that any nation serious about sustainable development must prioritise education, adding that Nigeria needs to align its demographic potential with bold investments and disciplined policies to strengthen its competitiveness globally.
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