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Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Senator Lawal Adamu Usman, Thursday, restated Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive education, saying that the country is implementing bold reforms to improve access, quality and equity, especially for the girl-child and children in conflict-affected areas.
Usman, who represents Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, stated this while addressing the 2025 Education World Forum in London.
The global summit, themed: “Global Priorities, Local Realities: Delivering Equity in Education,” brought together ministers, lawmakers and experts from across the world to reflect on how to tackle growing education inequality.
“This forum is more than an annual tradition. It is a global checkpoint,” Usman told the gathering. “It reminds us that while the barriers to education may span continents, the solutions must be rooted in our local contexts, cultures, and communities.”
Citing grim figures from UNESCO, he said only 17 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track, while over 250 million children and young people remain out of school globally.
“More than half of the world’s out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria alone, over 7.6 million children are out of school, with girls making up more than half,” he said.
The senator described the education crisis as both a human rights issue and an economic emergency, warning that failure to invest now could cost the global economy billions in lost lifetime earnings by 2030. Quoting UNESCO, he noted: “Every dollar invested in education yields nearly $20 in economic returns.”
He revealed that the Nigerian Senate is advancing the Basic Education Amendment Bill to its third reading. The legislation aims to strengthen compulsory education mandates, modernise curricula, enhance teacher training, and institutionalise gender equality.
“In addition to tightening enforcement, we are expanding digital access to underserved communities through solar-powered learning hubs and partnerships with the World Bank,” he said.
Senator Usman urged international investors to complement Nigeria’s efforts by investing in infrastructure, digital education tools, and teacher training.
“Private institutions are welcome to complement our public system. This will foster healthy competition and raise standards across the board,” he added.
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