Nigeria, Italy Back $5bn Global Push to Fund Education
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
Nigeria and Italy have strengthened collaboration on a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) campaign aimed at mobilising $5 billion to finance education initiatives worldwide.
The partnership was highlighted on Wednesday in New York during the “Multiply Possibility: A New Era for Education Financing” high-level event, held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a video message, said the GPE vision aligns with his administration’s agenda of improving educational outcomes through greater investment in access and capacity building, particularly for teachers.
Representing the President at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima described education as an investment in Nigeria’s economic future, productivity, prosperity and national stability.
“For Nigeria, education is not an expenditure at the margins of our development agenda. It is an investment in our economic future, national productivity, and the prosperity and stability of our people,” Shettima said.
He said the Federal Government had increased resources devoted to education since 2023 while pursuing reforms aimed at strengthening basic education financing, expanding foundational learning and improving access to tertiary and technical education.
Shettima also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in widening access to higher education and strengthening the connection between education, skills, employment and enterprise.
According to him, President Tinubu has directed that liquid funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, after being legally cleared and free from litigation, be channelled to NELFUND.
He added that the Federal Executive Council had also approved the consideration of unclaimed dividends and dormant funds for the same purpose, subject to relevant legal requirements.
The Vice President said Nigeria’s partnership with the World Bank and GPE through the HOPE-EDU programme was expected to reach approximately 29 million children and 500,000 teachers across the country.
He said the proposed $5 billion GPE campaign would complement, rather than replace, domestic investment in education.
“Domestic resources must remain the anchor, complemented by development assistance, concessional finance, philanthropy and innovative financing,” Shettima said.
He urged participants to make the campaign more than a fundraising exercise, describing it as a renewed commitment to human capital development through national leadership, international partnerships and responsible financing.
Shettima also expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to Italy and GPE for co-hosting the campaign, stressing that Nigeria’s participation was intended to demonstrate its own commitment to investing in education.
In a video presentation, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised President Tinubu’s leadership and Nigeria’s efforts to improve educational outcomes, while calling for stronger global commitment to reversing declining education financing in developing countries.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called on governments and international financial institutions to create fiscal space for education investment, including teacher training and capacity building.
Chair of the GPE Board of Directors, Dr Jakaya Kikwete, also stressed the importance of accelerating education financing amid declining development assistance and a widening funding gap.
Meanwhile, girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai called for stronger global partnerships and increased investment in gender equality and the education of girls, particularly in developing countries.
Governments and donors at the event pledged support for education programmes expected to benefit at least 370 million children globally, with Italy committing €50 million to GPE programmes and interventions.
