Vice-President Kashim Shettima says the Nigeria education budget has increased to N3.52 trillion for 2025 under President Bola Tinubu. He described it as a significant jump from the N1.54 trillion allocated in 2023.
He made the comment on Tuesday at the opening of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum in Abuja. The event was organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Forum of State Commissioners of Education.
Represented by Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, Shettima stated that the level of out-of-school children in Nigeria is a national emergency. He urged government and private stakeholders to cooperate to solve the problem.
Nigeria Education Budget Reflects Renewed Hope Agenda
Shettima said the increased spending reflects the administration’s commitment to building an educated and globally competitive population. He warned that no nation can advance with an uneducated generation.
“Nothing threatens a civilisation more than an uneducated generation,” he said. According to him, education gives people the knowledge to imagine a better future and the skills to build it.
He added that the country has reached a point where government alone cannot fund education sustainably. He called for private investment, alumni participation, industry support, and community contributions.
Funding Agencies Receive Major Increases
The vice-president highlighted growth in agency funding under the Renewed Hope plan. He noted that TETFund’s budget increased from N320.3 billion in 2023 to N1.6 trillion in 2025.
He said UBEC distributed N92.4 billion in matching grants to 25 states and the FCT. Another N19 billion supported teacher training across 32 states. Community projects received N1.5 billion.
Shettima said state UBE grants have grown from N1.3 billion to over N3.3 billion. Through counterpart funding, states can now access more than N6.6 billion.
Nigeria Education Budget Supports Student Loan Disbursement
He also revealed updates on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Under the Students’ Loans Act of 2024, the fund has disbursed N86.3 billion to more than 450,000 students in 218 institutions.
Shettima stressed the need for safe classrooms, modern laboratories, and improved teacher welfare. He called for cooperation among federal, state, and local governments.
“Education cannot be treated as a line item,” he said. He described it as the “foundation of national identity and the engine of economic transformation.”
