FG to Pay Mothers to Send Children to School Under New Reforms

• The Federal Government has launched the Basic Education Transformation Agenda (BETA) to tackle out-of-school children, poor infrastructure, and low teacher capacity
• Starting from the 2025/2026 session, students in federal and state technical colleges will enjoy free tuition, boarding, feeding, uniforms, and a N22,500 stipend
• The reforms include Conditional Cash Transfers, teacher retraining, modernised curricula, upgraded unity schools, STEMM innovation grants, and expanded scholarships

The Federal Government has introduced the Basic Education Transformation Agenda (BETA), a wide-ranging reform package aimed at boosting school enrollment, strengthening technical training, and modernising Nigeria’s education system.

The initiative was unveiled in Abuja at the weekend by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

FG takes steps to address rising out-of-school children

BETA includes Conditional Cash Transfers to mothers to ensure consistent school attendance.

The programme also features a Back2School Drive in partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education. Under the scheme, government will fully cover enrollment costs for children during official handovers.

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According to the minister, the reforms are designed to address persistent challenges in the sector, such as the rising number of out-of-school children, dilapidated infrastructure, outdated curricula, and insufficient teacher training.

He said teacher retraining is central to the plan, with a target of five million youths to be trained within four years.

Already, 270 technical teachers in Ibadan have been equipped with digital and trade-specific skills, while 6,000 senior secondary school teachers are receiving training in artificial intelligence.

Tinubu approves N120bn for TVET

President Bola Tinubu has approved N120bn for the advancement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Starting from the 2025/2026 academic session, students in federal and state technical colleges will receive free tuition, uniforms, feeding, boarding, and protective gear.

Each student will also get a monthly stipend of N22,500. The training model will be 80 percent practical and 20 percent theoretical, with certified trainers and industry partnerships for internships.

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Alausa further disclosed that N80bn has been allocated for the rehabilitation of unity schools, while 38 federal and state technical colleges are undergoing complete modernisation.

On higher education, the government has launched the STEMM Nigeria Agenda, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical sciences. A new STEMM Up Grant worth up to N50m will support undergraduate-led innovations.

NELFUND to begin disbursement of

Scholarship awards have also been increased by 50 percent, rising to N750,000 for PhD students, N600,000 for Master’s, and N450,000 for undergraduates.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has so far disbursed N77bn to 396,000 students in 210 institutions.

A Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund worth N10bn has also been created, alongside the release of N50bn for long-standing Earned Academic Allowances.

The minister unveiled additional measures to protect vulnerable groups, including a national anti-bullying policy, expanded school feeding, health insurance for Almajiri children, and girl-focused initiatives like the Learning Under the Mango programme.

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He also announced a €38m ICT development partnership with the French Development Agency across 10 universities.

“The era of piecemeal responses to education is over. We are cleaning up the system, restoring standards, and preparing Nigerian children to compete and thrive globally,” Alausa said.

African Union invites applications for roles

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the African Union announced recruitment for seven key positions for qualified candidates.

These seven roles ranged from logistics and medical warehouse management to market intelligence and ERP systems.

Prospective applicants with HND, BSc, or MSc qualifications were encouraged to apply through the online jobs portal.

Source: Legit.ng