The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa has directed coordinators of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) to take full ownership of their assignments, eliminate implementation bottlenecks and ensure outstanding education reform commitments are delivered within agreed timelines.
Speaking at the Ministerial Deliverables Meeting on NESRI on Friday in Abuja, the minister said the Federal Ministry of Education would measure success not by the number of programmes launched or meetings held but by tangible improvements in schools and learning outcomes across the country.
The meeting reviewed progress made in the last six months since the NESRI retreat held in February, assessed completed and pending deliverables, identified obstacles slowing implementation and agreed on timelines for outstanding tasks.
Alausa stressed that officials must move beyond recording activities to achieving measurable results.
He said: “Today is not about celebrating what we have done and going home. It is about looking at what we have done, what remains to be done and how we can finish what we have started.”
The minister explained that assignments reported as completed would be scrutinised to determine whether they had actually achieved their intended objectives, warning that partial implementation would no longer qualify as completed work.
According to him, programme coordinators and directors must identify the factors delaying outstanding assignments and take responsibility for resolving them.
The minister commended officials for advancing the education sector renewal agenda, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had continued to demonstrate strong political commitment to transforming education.
He said the President had consistently provided the support needed to improve access, quality and relevance across the nation’s education system.
Alausa added that the mandate given to him and the Minister of State for Education was to ensure every Nigerian child has access to quality education that equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
He, however, warned officials against complacency despite the progress already recorded.
According to him, every milestone achieved should serve as a foundation for the next phase of implementation.
The minister listed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), girl-child education, quality assurance, data management, digitalisation and tackling the out-of-school children crisis among the priority areas under the NESRI reform agenda.
He urged programme coordinators, directors and other senior officials to strengthen collaboration, maintain clear ownership of their deliverables and remain focused on measurable outcomes.
Alausa assured Nigerians that the ministry would remain committed to implementing President Tinubu’s education agenda while responding to emerging challenges to build an education system that provides every Nigerian child with quality learning opportunities and relevant skills.
