Education minister tasks journalists on data-driven reporting, accountability

Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, has challenged education correspondents across Nigeria to leverage available education data to hold state governments and other stakeholders accountable for improving learning outcomes and delivering quality education.

 

Alausa stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) 2026 Annual Education Summit held in Abuja, with the theme: “Three Years of the Tinubu Administration: Assessing Reforms, Progress, and Challenges in Nigeria’s Education Sector.”

 

The minister urged journalists to move beyond routine reporting and interrogate government policies using credible data from official platforms, particularly the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure Management System (NEDIMS).

 

He said access to reliable education data had provided journalists with the tools needed to question gaps in infrastructure, teacher availability, enrolment figures and other indicators affecting the sector.

 

“Like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would say, if you don’t use data, it is like you are flying blind. Without data, you cannot do anything. We want you journalists to go to the website and use that data to challenge governors and local government chairmen. 

 

“You can now know the number of teachers to classroom ratio, students to teacher ratio, students to classroom ratio and the facilities available down to the school level. This is using data for public good, and you are the mouthpiece of the nation,” he said.

 

 

The Minister commended ECAN for sustaining a platform that promotes informed discussions on education development and keeps Nigerians informed about policies and programmes in the sector.

 

“Education remains the single most important investment any nation can make in its future. It is the foundation upon which economic prosperity, national security, innovation and social cohesion are built,” he said.

 

He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration had placed education at the centre of its Renewed Hope Agenda, enabling the ministry to introduce reforms aimed at building a stronger and globally competitive education system.

 

Speaking on the achievements of the Tinubu administration in the education sector, Alausa said the ministry’s reforms were built around six major priority areas, including technical and vocational education and training (TVET), science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), digital transformation, reducing out-of-school children, quality assurance and strengthening education governance.

 

He said the reforms were not implemented randomly but through a deliberate strategy aimed at achieving measurable outcomes.

 

“If you give me another three hours, it will not be enough for us to talk about the reforms we are undertaking. But I will direct you to the distinct priority areas we have focused on,” he said.

 

According to him, the government’s commitment to tertiary education reforms had helped ensure stability in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

 

He said agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), alongside arrangements with polytechnic and college of education unions, had prevented disruptions in tertiary institutions in the last three years.

 

“For once, in three years, we have not had any stoppage in our tertiary education system. This is a big deal, and I think the President deserves a big hand for that,” Alausa said.

 

He also highlighted improvements in global university rankings, noting that Nigeria increased the number of universities among the world’s top 1,000 institutions.

 

“Up to five years before 2026, we only had 21 universities in the country that made the top 1,000 universities in the world. In 2026, we had 24 universities making that list. Three more Nigerian universities are now part of the top 1,000 universities in the world. This is a big deal. It reflects the reforms we have taken in our tertiary education system,” he stated 

 

The minister added that public universities had recorded significant progress, with 17 out of the 24 Nigerian institutions ranked among the global top 1,000 being public universities.

“Up to 2025, the top four best universities in Nigeria were all private universities. Today, the top four universities are public universities,” he said.

 

The minister urged journalists to make use of the platform to investigate and report education realities across the country.

 

“Today, we have almost 25 million children in primary schools. We have over five million children in junior secondary schools. That means about 20 million children dropped off from primary school to junior secondary school. Where are those children? That is a big problem,” he said.

 

According to him, Nigeria has about 90,000 primary schools but only about 16,000 junior secondary schools, creating a major access challenge.

“The ratio is one to eight. That tells you the major problem. The problem is access,” he said.

 

On the challenge of out-of-school children, Alausa said the administration had made progress through targeted interventions aimed at improving access and retention.

 

“In the last 24 months, we have moved over one million children off the streets into schools. Over one million,” he said.

 

However, he admitted that previous estimates of out-of-school children figures were not sufficient for effective planning, adding that the ministry was working with the National Bureau of Statistics to conduct a comprehensive household survey.

 

Also speaking, Suwaiba Ahmed, Minister of State for Education, called on journalists to support ongoing education reforms through responsible reporting that would keep Nigerians informed about progress, challenges and areas requiring intervention.

 

“I encourage you, as members of the media, to support these reforms through your reporting so that the public understands where we are, where we are heading and what we need to do to get there,” she said.

 

She noted that education remained central to national development, poverty reduction, innovation and social cohesion.

 

“Education is the foundation upon which we build a productive economy, strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty and promote social cohesion,” she said.

 

On her part, Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education.

 

Garba said the central objective of education reforms must remain ensuring that no child is left behind, regardless of background, location or economic status.

 

“The most important objective is that no child should be left behind. Regardless of background, location or income level, every child must have access to quality education,” she said.

 

Garba commended the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education for providing direction and support that had enabled UBEC to record progress.

 

Earlier, Grace Ike, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, said the media had a crucial role to play in supporting reforms in Nigeria’s education sector by promoting accountability and public awareness.

 

She noted that although the sector was undergoing significant reforms, many challenges remained, requiring collaboration among all stakeholders.

 

“Education is a vital sector, and I am delighted to be part of this event. This award should also recognise and encourage young correspondents, and I commend the Education Correspondents for their efforts under the able leadership of their chairman.

 

“While we face many challenges, the government, parents, school administrators, policymakers and the media must work together. We must use our various platforms to educate the public and advocate policies that improve learning outcomes and protect the future of Nigerian children,” she said.

 

Also speaking, Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Media and Communication, stressed the importance of data-driven reporting, saying that effective reporting required moving beyond assumptions to evidence.

 

“When you work at the lowest point of a project, you are working on assumption. Anybody can work on assumption. But when you get facts, observations and evidence, then you know you are talking with tangible information,” he said.

 

He also urged information officers within education agencies to support communication efforts by ensuring that achievements and reforms were effectively shared with Nigerians.

 

He urged journalists to protect and sustain reforms by ensuring continuity beyond individual administrations.

 

In his remarks, Chuks Ukwauta, Chairman of ECAN, said the summit was organised to provide an honest assessment of the progress, reforms and challenges confronting Nigeria’s education sector.

 

He described education as the greatest investment any nation could make in its people, noting that it remained the foundation for innovation, economic prosperity, social cohesion and national competitiveness.

 

“As journalists who report on the education beat daily, we have witnessed significant policy initiatives and reforms aimed at repositioning education under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

“However, we have also reported the realities confronting the sector, from inadequate funding and infrastructural deficits to poor learning outcomes, teacher development, research, technology integration and the challenge of millions of out-of-school children,” he said.

 

He further said the summit was not designed merely to review government policies but to encourage constructive engagement among policymakers, practitioners, development partners and the media.

 

The summit  ended with the presentation of awards to the Minister of Education and other heads of agencies in the sector for their contributions to ongoing reforms and technical sessions involving presentations from Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and National Universities Commission (NUC).