Nigeria and Italy are stepping up efforts to strengthen global education financing, backing a major Global Partnership for Education (GPE) campaign designed to mobilise $5 billion for education programmes around the world.
The initiative places Nigeria at the centre of an international push to close the growing education financing gap, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration highlighting domestic investment, teacher development and expanded access to education as key priorities.
The partnership was discussed during the high-level “A New Era for Education Financing” event in New York, held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The gathering brought together government leaders, international institutions, donors and education advocates to explore new ways of financing education, particularly in developing countries.
Tinubu: GPE Vision Aligns With Nigeria’s Education Agenda
President Tinubu said the objectives of the Global Partnership for Education are consistent with Nigeria’s own plans to improve educational outcomes.
In a video message delivered during the event, the Nigerian president commended GPE stakeholders for their efforts to accelerate education financing worldwide. He also emphasised the importance of improving access to education while strengthening the capacity of teachers.
Representing the president at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima said Nigeria views education as a long-term investment rather than a peripheral government expense.
“For Nigeria, education is not an expenditure at the margins of our development agenda,” Shettima said, describing education as an investment in the country’s economic future, productivity, prosperity and stability.
According to the vice president, the administration has increased resources dedicated to education since Tinubu assumed office in 2023 while pursuing reforms aimed at strengthening basic education financing, improving foundational learning and expanding access to tertiary and technical education.
Nigeria Looks Beyond Traditional Education Funding
Shettima also outlined efforts to identify additional lawful sources of funding for education.
One of the measures involves the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, through which the government is seeking to broaden access to higher education while creating stronger connections between education, skills development, employment and enterprise.
The vice president said President Tinubu has directed that funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, once legally cleared and no longer subject to litigation, should be channelled toward the education loan system.
The Federal Executive Council has also approved consideration of unclaimed dividends and dormant funds for the same purpose, subject to applicable legal requirements.
Shettima said these measures reflect Nigeria’s position that improving education financing requires the mobilisation of every responsible and lawful domestic resource available.
The approach is also intended to demonstrate that Nigeria is seeking to increase its own contribution to education rather than relying exclusively on international assistance.
HOPE-EDU Programme Could Reach 29 Million Children
Nigeria’s partnership with international development institutions is another major component of the country’s education financing strategy.
Shettima pointed to collaboration with the World Bank and GPE through the HOPE-EDU programme, which he said is expected to reach approximately 29 million children and 500,000 teachers across Nigeria.
The programme illustrates the role international partnerships can play in supporting national education priorities.
Shettima stressed, however, that international financing should complement rather than replace domestic investment.
He said the proposed GPE campaign aims to raise $5 billion, which would then help unlock additional financing for education in partner countries.
Domestic resources, he noted, should remain the foundation, supported by development assistance, concessional finance, philanthropy and innovative financing mechanisms.
Global Education Funding Faces Growing Pressure
The campaign comes amid concerns about declining development assistance for education and a widening financing gap, particularly in developing countries.
Shettima argued that the response to shrinking international aid should involve more effective multilateral cooperation, allowing limited international resources to attract significantly larger investments.
He also linked education financing to Nigeria’s demographic future.
Nigeria has a large and growing young population, which could become an important economic asset if young people have access to quality education, relevant skills and meaningful opportunities.
Without those investments, however, population growth alone cannot guarantee better economic outcomes.
For that reason, Shettima urged participants to view the GPE campaign as more than a fundraising initiative. He described it as an opportunity to build a renewed commitment to human capital development by bringing together national leadership, international cooperation and responsible financing.
The ultimate objective, he said, should be to ensure that children have the opportunity to learn, develop and contribute to the future of their countries.
Italy Backs Global Education Campaign
Italy has emerged as an important partner in the financing campaign, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praising Nigeria’s leadership and its efforts to improve education across different levels.
In a video presentation, Meloni called for greater commitment from members of the global education alliance to reverse the decline in education support in developing countries.
Nigeria and Italy are serving as co-hosts of the campaign, reinforcing their shared focus on expanding the resources available for education internationally.
Shettima said Nigeria’s participation was not simply an appeal for wealthier countries and international organisations to increase their contributions.
Instead, he said Nigeria wanted to demonstrate that it is also investing in education and taking steps to strengthen its domestic financing base.
That message is particularly significant as governments and development partners consider how to maintain education spending amid competing economic pressures and reduced development assistance.
Amina Mohammed Calls for Stronger Government Action
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also stressed the importance of government decisions in determining whether education systems can deliver better outcomes.
She thanked participating governments and organisations for their interest in improving education financing in developing countries and said the transformation being sought must begin with the choices made at the national level.
Mohammed also called on international financial institutions to help committed countries create the fiscal space required to increase investment in education.
Teacher development was another major issue she highlighted. According to Mohammed, teacher training and motivation remain critical to improving educational outcomes.
The emphasis on teachers reflects the wider recognition that expanding school access alone is not enough. Education systems also need adequately prepared and supported teachers capable of delivering quality learning.
GPE Warns of the Education Financing Gap
Dr Jakaya Kikwete, Chair of the GPE Board of Directors, used the event to underline the urgency of accelerating education financing.
He described education as central not only to learning but also to broader goals involving human rights, security and peace.
According to Kikwete, the GPE campaign is responding to two related challenges: falling development assistance for education and the widening gap between available resources and what education systems require.
He also pointed to the increasing importance of systems capable of delivering tangible and sustainable results from available funding.
The message from the GPE leadership was therefore focused not only on raising more money but also on ensuring that financing contributes to meaningful improvements in education systems.
Malala Calls for Greater Focus on Girls’ Education
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai also called for stronger international cooperation.
She argued that partnerships combining ideas, expertise and financial resources can achieve greater results than isolated interventions by individual countries.
Yousafzai particularly urged governments and multilateral organisations to increase their commitment to gender equality in education and address the specific challenges facing girls, especially in developing countries.
Her intervention added a gender-focused dimension to discussions that largely centred on closing the global education financing gap.
Italy Pledges €50 Million to GPE
The high-level meeting concluded with governments and donors announcing contributions intended to support the education of at least 370 million children worldwide.
Among the commitments was a €50 million pledge from the Italian government for GPE programmes and interventions.
The pledge comes as Nigeria, Italy and other international partners seek to build momentum around the broader $5 billion GPE financing campaign.
For Nigeria, the initiative also provides an opportunity to showcase its own education reforms and domestic financing efforts while strengthening cooperation with international development institutions.
The broader challenge remains significant: governments must find sustainable ways to finance education while international partners work to close funding gaps.
The discussions in New York highlighted a shared message from national leaders, international organisations and education advocates: expanding access to quality education will require sustained domestic investment, stronger international partnerships and innovative approaches to financing.
With Nigeria and Italy helping to lead the campaign, the proposed $5 billion GPE mobilisation effort is now positioned as part of a wider attempt to rethink how the world finances education and develops the next generation of learners, teachers and skilled workers.
