Lagos, Nigeria - March 25, 2026 - The Federal Government of Nigeria, together with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the largest global fund dedicated to transforming education in over 90 countries, convened business and philanthropic leaders for a landmark roundtable on education, marking a historic step toward deeper collaboration between the government and the private sector to strengthen education financing and delivery nationwide.

The high-level dialogue titled “Multiply Possibility in Nigeria: Private Sector Leadership for Education” brought together leaders from across Nigeria’s business and philanthropic community alongside government officials and development partners, creating a shared platform to align private investment with national education priorities and accelerate progress on foundational learning, access, and workforce readiness.

The event was marked by the launch of a new public–private working group designed to transform collaboration across the education sector. Co-chaired by the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Honorable Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, the group will bring together a diverse cross-section of private sector leaders, from industry, finance, technology and philanthropy. Its mandate is to go beyond coordination, actively driving alignment, unlocking partnerships and financing, and reducing fragmentation through a forward-looking framework for more strategic, scalable and results-driven collaboration.

Strong education systems are built on sustainable financing, with domestic resources as the backbone that secures long-term stability.

Private sector investment is a powerful engine for scale, innovation and impact, and reinforces and stabilizes national commitment. The roundtable builds on the Federal Government’s planned reform to increase the share of the Consolidated Revenue Fund allocated to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) from 2% to 4%, effectively doubling federal resources for basic education, and reflects the administration’s commitment to sustainable domestic financing for education.

Nigeria is advancing ambitious reforms to mobilize greater domestic financing, laying the foundation for a truly sustainable education system powered by strong public leadership and dynamic private partnership.

“Education is the backbone of national development,” said Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa. “This roundtable represents a turning point in how we work with Nigeria’s private sector, moving from fragmented efforts to coordinated action. Together, we are building a future where every Nigerian child can access quality basic education and the skills needed to thrive.”

Nigeria faces an urgent learning challenge, with an estimated 14.8 million of children out of school and nearly two-thirds of children in school struggling to read age-appropriate texts. At the same time, Nigeria’s youth population–the largest in Africa–represents a powerful opportunity to drive long-term growth if the education system can equip them with relevant skills.

“Education is everything: if we deliver quality education, we will have quality human beings,” said Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman, Access Holdings Plc.. “Any investment in education is an investment in Nigeria’s future.”

GPE elevates the unique technical expertise and know-how of the private sector and foundations – through leadership on GPE’s Board of Directors to shaping innovative approaches, the private sector and foundations drive systems reform in partnership with country governments, civil society, donor countries, and teachers and youth.

The roundtable showed how private contributions can be aligned with Nigeria’s education reform agenda, including the National Education Sector Reform Initiative (NESRI) and the Education Partnership Compact, while leveraging innovative financing tools to amplify impact.

“Nigeria is a long-standing partner of GPE,” said Serigne Mbaye Thiam, former Minister of Education in Senegal and GPE High-Level Envoy. “Its role in organizing this roundtable, co-hosting GPE’s 2026 Multiply Possibility Global Education Summit, and placing education at the center of its development agenda, are powerful examples of how national leadership and strategic partnerships can transform education systems.”

The governments of Nigeria and Italy, together with GPE, will convene the Multiply Possibility - Global Education Summit 2026 on June 9, 2026 in Rome, Italy. The event will convene heads of state, ministers, and leaders from international organizations, civil society, philanthropy and the private sector to secure the investments and commitments needed to improve education for 750 million children around the world.

“Italy is honored to stand alongside Nigeria as a committed partner in the Global Partnership for Education (GPE),” said Iacopo Foti, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Italy in Abuja. “This shared effort reflects a profound conviction: that education is not only a fundamental right, but also the most powerful investment we can make in stability, innovation, and long‑term prosperity.”

The event is a major milestone in GPE’s Multiply Possibility campaign, which aims to mobilize $5 billion for GPE and billion more in domestic financing commitments from more than 90 countries. This core investment will catalyze an additional $10 billion in cofinancing by 2030, expanding opportunity, strengthening skills, and supporting shared prosperity for a generation of children and youth.

The Federal Government of Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with state governments, the private sector, civil society, and development partners to ensure that increased domestic resources, combined with private investment, deliver tangible improvements in learning outcomes, retention, and completion.

Media contacts:

• Boriowo Folasade, Director, Press and Public Relations @email Tel: +234 81 63 65 34 84
• Tamara Kummer, GPE Head of Communications, @email Tel: +1 202 948 5395

About the Global Partnership for Education

GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. We mobilize partners and funds to support over 90 countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world.
www.globalpartnership.org