In a high level bilateral meeting held on Monday, May 19, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the UK Secretary of State for Education, Rt. Hon. Bridget Phillipson, outlined a bold vision for deepening educational collaboration between both nations.
The discussions, held on the sidelines of the 2025 Education World Forum in London, focused on strengthening Nigeria’s foundational education sector particularly early childhood development and primary education through strategic partnerships rather than traditional donor-based models.
“Nigeria is moving beyond dependency on grants. We now seek sustainable partnerships that improve quality and equity in education delivery,” Dr. Alausa emphasized.
This renewed approach aligns with the UK government’s own reforms in early childhood education, providing a timely basis for collaboration.
The meeting also explored potential synergies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) a priority area for the Nigerian Ministry of Education, which is set to formally launch its advanced TVET agenda on May 30, 2025.
Both ministers underscored the importance of maintaining strong relationships with development partners, including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), to drive educational transformation.
Dr. Alausa also revealed that a major highlight of the meeting was a shared commitment to transatlantic collaboration in education. “Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our goal is to build local educational capacity that will reduce the need for outward school and work migration what many refer to as the ‘japa syndrome’,” he said.
As a direct outcome of the meeting, Dr. Alausa announced an upcoming engagement with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham to discuss the establishment of a satellite campus in Lagos. “Bringing a prestigious Russell Group university to Nigeria would mark a significant milestone in our efforts to provide world-class education locally,” he noted.
Looking forward, both parties agreed to a follow-up meeting in Nigeria, where a UK government delegation will visit to further the dialogue. The visit is expected to create a broader platform for exchanging best practices and advancing Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda for education.
“The meeting was highly productive,” Dr. Alausa concluded. “It laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation and signaled a shared commitment to transforming education systems in both our countries.”
The minister’s participation in the Education World Forum underscores the Federal Government’s renewed focus on education reform and positions Nigeria as an active player in global education leadership.