……FG also moves to strengthen tertiary education through Diaspora Bridge, payment reform, and enrollment tracking
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, says President Bola Tinubu has given a clear directive to end all forms of industrial action in tertiary institutions, particularly strikes led by ASUU and other education unions.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Alausa said the President’s mandate to his cabinet is to maintain harmony in the education sector through proactive engagement, mutual understanding with union leaders, and timely response to their demands.
FG MOVES TO RESOLVE SALARY PAYMENT DELAYS
The minister also acknowledged the delays in paying salaries to staff of universities and other tertiary institutions, offering an apology to the affected unions. He said the Ministry of Education is already working with the Minister of Finance to ensure salary payments are streamlined and released promptly.
He explained that current payment bottlenecks stem from the need to first process wages for those on IPPIS before attending to staff under the UTAS platform. However, he assured that the government is working on harmonising both systems for smoother payment going forward.
DIASPORA BRIDGE INITIATIVE ATTRACTS 150 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
While speaking about the new Diaspora Bridge initiative, which was officially launched on Monday, Alausa disclosed that over 150 Nigerian institutions have already registered to be part of the platform.
He described the initiative as a flagship project designed to connect Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora with local universities, research bodies, and health institutions through structured and hybrid collaboration — both online and offline.
He added that professionals abroad would register via the initiative’s website as volunteers, and although they would not receive remuneration, the Federal Government would cover their travel and accommodation costs when they come to Nigeria.
NIGERIAN-BASED PROFESSIONALS ALSO INCLUDED IN COLLABORATION PLATFORM
The minister further explained that the initiative is inclusive, not limited to Diaspora-based experts alone. Nigerian-based professionals and institutions are also eligible to participate and benefit from the initiative.
OVER A MILLION OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN TO BE ENROLLED
Beyond addressing tertiary education, Alausa revealed that the ministry is working to consolidate and strengthen the nation’s education data. The goal is to provide accurate statistics from all local and state governments in order to effectively monitor school enrolment, drop-out rates, and design interventions where needed.
He assured that the Federal Government plans to move over one million out-of-school children into classrooms in the coming months and would make data on their enrolment publicly available as part of ongoing accountability and tracking efforts.
This renewed commitment from the Federal Government under Tinubu’s administration comes amidst long-standing tensions with academic unions, frequent strike actions, and widespread concern about the state of Nigeria’s educational infrastructure. The efforts to restore stability, attract global collaboration, and improve payroll systems signal a strategic push to not just fix current issues but also to build a more sustainable foundation for the future of higher education in the country.
