Alausa urges states to meet requirements for $552m HOPE education fund

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has urged state governments to fulfil the conditions for accessing the $552 million World Bank-backed HOPE Education Programme, stressing that collaboration and accurate data are key to improving education outcomes across the country.

Alausa made the call on Tuesday while declaring open the five-day Executive Retreat of the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN) in Abuja.

He said the Tinubu administration had made education a priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the success of ongoing reforms would depend largely on the commitment of state governments.

According to the minister, the Federal Government is strengthening education planning through the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), which are designed to provide real-time information on school enrolment, teacher deployment, infrastructure and learning outcomes.

He said the data platforms would improve planning, budgeting and policy implementation across the education sector.

Alausa called on all states to complete their Annual School Census using the digitised platform, while commending Kaduna and Borno states for making significant progress in the exercise.

He also revealed that digital dashboards and smart boards had been deployed with support from the National Bureau of Statistics to improve education data management.

Speaking on the HOPE Education Programme, the minister said all 36 states are eligible to benefit from the $552 million performance-based funding initiative but noted that many had yet to meet the conditions for accessing the funds.

He identified the outstanding requirements as the signing of Subsidiary Loan Agreements, opening of designated accounts and compliance with data reporting obligations.

The minister urged commissioners of education to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to meet the requirements and unlock the funding for improved education access, governance and learning outcomes.

To ensure the sustainability of the reforms, Alausa proposed quarterly review meetings for state commissioners to encourage peer learning, monitor implementation and strengthen accountability.

He added that under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the Federal Government is expanding access to affordable digital learning tools for pupils from Primary One to Senior Secondary School, while advising states against investing in costly smart school projects without sustainable maintenance plans.

Delivering the keynote address, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, urged state commissioners to pursue education reforms that would survive changes in political leadership.

He said lasting improvements in the education sector require policy continuity, reliable data, effective teacher development, accountability and sustained investment in learning outcomes.

Also speaking, the World Bank’s Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme, Shin Nomura, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reforms.

Representing the World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis, Nomura said the programme, which became effective in March 2026, is designed to strengthen education governance, financing, teacher development, learning outcomes and data systems through a performance-based financing model.