The Federal Government has disbursed ₦372.62 billion in student loans, enrolled more than 156,000 beneficiaries in its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, and returned over one million out-of-school children to classrooms under President Bola Tinubu’s education reforms.

The figures were contained in the 2026 report of the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), released by the Federal Ministry of Education and highlighted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday.

The report detailed interventions across basic, secondary and tertiary education, technical and vocational training, teacher development, research and innovation, as well as science and medical education.

According to the APC Presidential Campaign Council, the reforms are anchored on six priority areas: technical and vocational education, science and medical sciences, out-of-school children, girl-child education, digitalisation and education quality assurance.

₦372.62bn student loans disbursed

A major highlight of the administration’s education intervention is the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has processed 1,659,853 student loan applications and disbursed ₦372.62 billion to beneficiaries across 319 tertiary institutions.

The amount comprises ₦192.89 billion for tuition fees and ₦179.73 billion for students’ upkeep allowances.

The initiative is designed to reduce the financial burden of tertiary education on Nigerian families and ensure that financial constraints do not prevent qualified students from pursuing higher education.

The government has also introduced the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, which has disbursed ₦28 billion to 15,000 workers across 153 public institutions.

Under the scheme, eligible workers can access loans of up to ₦10 million for housing, healthcare, transportation and education.

156,446 benefit from TVET programme

The administration’s technical and vocational education programme has also recorded significant enrolment, attracting more than 2.8 million applications.

The report disclosed that 156,446 verified trainees had benefited from free training, monthly stipends and start-up support.

While ₦65.7 billion has been disbursed to trainees, another ₦30.2 billion has gone to training centres participating in the programme.

The Federal Government has equally rehabilitated 38 technical colleges and introduced free technical education covering tuition, boarding, textbooks and uniforms.

The initiative is aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills, improving employability and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Over one million out-of-school children return to classrooms

On basic education, the report said the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme had brought more than one million out-of-school children back into learning.

It also disclosed that 1,400 Tsangaya teachers had been trained, while 200 bilingual learning centres had been established across 17 northern states.

In another intervention targeting girls’ education, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme has reached 7.19 million girls, with 3.7 million enrolled in secondary schools.

More than 10,000 schools have also benefited from improved facilities under the programme.

The Federal Government further secured $552 million for the HOPE-EDU programme, which targets 29 million children, more than 500,000 teachers and 65,000 public schools.

The 2026 budget also allocated ₦3.52 trillion to the education sector, representing a major funding commitment to the government’s reform agenda.

53,553 teachers register for professional development

The report highlighted efforts to improve teaching quality through curriculum reform and professional development.

Under the EduRevamp initiative, 53,553 teachers have registered, while 51,794 joined the first cohort of the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP).

The six-month programme provides professional qualifications, certification and licensing for participating teachers.

Backed by ₦2 billion, the initiative is targeting 250,000 teachers by 2027.

The administration has also introduced a revised national curriculum that restores Nigerian History and strengthens Civic and Heritage Studies.

The National Learning Assessment has equally been restored to monitor pupils’ academic performance and identify learning gaps.

In addition, the Inspire Live initiative provides online lessons from Primary One to Senior Secondary School Three, supported by certified teachers and artificial intelligence-assisted learning.

₦110bn investment in medical schools

The Tinubu administration is also investing ₦110 billion in the rehabilitation of 18 federal medical schools spread across the six geopolitical zones.

The report disclosed that nursing enrolment increased from 81,480 in 2023 to 114,300 in 2025, reflecting efforts to expand the country’s healthcare workforce.

Twenty STEM-focused tertiary institutions have also been approved, while 12 engineering and technology faculties are targeted for rehabilitation.

The interventions are expected to strengthen science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical education, while improving the capacity of Nigerian institutions to produce skilled professionals.

₦2.5bn student entrepreneurship grants

Beyond conventional academic programmes, the Federal Government is supporting research, innovation and entrepreneurship among students.

The Student Venture Capital Grant has disbursed more than ₦2.5 billion to 45 student entrepreneurs, with each beneficiary eligible for up to ₦50 million in equity-free funding.

The government has also provided ₦365 million annually for research and innovation through the National Laureate Prize.

Entrepreneurship certification programmes are ongoing in 14 federal universities.

Meanwhile, the Diaspora BRIDGE initiative has registered 1,141 Nigerian experts living abroad and reached 16,675 students across 107 tertiary institutions.

The programme is designed to connect Nigerian students and institutions with international expertise and mentorship.

Tinubu administration resolves ASUU dispute

In another development, the APC Presidential Campaign Council said the Tinubu administration had resolved the longstanding dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and implemented an agreement providing a 40 per cent increase in academic staff remuneration alongside improved welfare benefits.

The development, according to the council, forms part of efforts to stabilise the academic calendar and improve conditions in tertiary institutions.

‘Impact, not just budgetary allocations, is our measure’

Commenting on the reforms, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the success of the administration’s education policies should be measured by their actual impact on students, teachers and educational institutions rather than the amount of money allocated or the number of programmes introduced.

“Our measure of success is not merely the amount of money allocated to education or the number of programmes introduced. It is the difference these interventions make in the lives of our children, students, teachers and institutions,” Alausa said.

The statement was issued by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, on November 4, 2026.

The council presented the figures as evidence of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to expand access to education, strengthen technical skills acquisition, improve institutional capacity and address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s education sector.