Nigeria and Italy have strengthened collaboration on a proposed $5 billion Global Partnership for Education (GPE) financing campaign aimed at mobilising resources for education worldwide.
The partnership was highlighted on Wednesday at the “Multiply Possibility: A New Era for Education Financing” high-level event held in New York on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a video message to the gathering, said the GPE vision aligned with Nigeria’s education agenda, particularly efforts to improve learning outcomes by expanding access and strengthening teacher capacity.
He commended GPE stakeholders for their efforts to accelerate education financing globally.
Representing the President at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima described education as an investment in Nigeria’s economic future, national productivity, prosperity and stability rather than an expenditure at the margins of the country’s development agenda.
“For Nigeria, education is not an expenditure at the margins of our development agenda. It is an investment in our economic future, national productivity, and the prosperity and stability of our people,” Shettima said.
He said the Federal Government had increased resources devoted to education since Tinubu assumed office in 2023 while pursuing reforms to strengthen basic education financing, expand foundational learning and improve access to tertiary and technical education.
Shettima also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying it was helping to widen access to higher education while strengthening the link between education, skills, employment and enterprise.
According to him, the Federal Government was also looking beyond conventional budgetary allocations by exploring lawful domestic sources of funding for education.
He said Tinubu had directed that liquid funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, once legally cleared and free from litigation, be channelled to NELFUND.
The Vice President added that the Federal Executive Council had also approved consideration of unclaimed dividends and dormant funds for the same purpose, subject to relevant legal requirements.
He said the measures reflected Nigeria’s position that education financing required the mobilisation of every responsible and lawful domestic source available.
Shettima cited Nigeria’s partnership with the World Bank and GPE through the HOPE-EDU programme, which he said was expected to reach approximately 29 million children and 500,000 teachers across the country.
“This is precisely why GPE matters. GPE does not replace national investment; it multiplies it,” he said.
The Vice President said the campaign sought to mobilise $5 billion for GPE and use the funding to unlock additional financing for education in partner countries.
He stressed that domestic resources should remain the anchor, complemented by development assistance, concessional finance, philanthropy and innovative financing. The GPE has separately outlined a $5 billion replenishment target intended to help unlock additional co-financing for education.
Shettima said Nigeria’s growing youth population could become a major economic asset if young people had access to quality education, relevant skills and meaningful opportunities.
He therefore called for “smarter multilateralism” in response to declining global aid, with scarce international resources used to leverage larger investments in education.
He urged participants to make the initiative more than a fundraising exercise by creating a renewed compact around human capital development involving national leadership, international partnerships and responsible financing.
The Vice President also expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to the Italian government and GPE for joining the campaign, saying Nigeria was participating not only to seek international support but also to demonstrate its own commitment to investing in education.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a video presentation, praised President Tinubu’s leadership and Nigeria’s efforts to improve educational outcomes across all levels.
She also called on partners in the global alliance to demonstrate greater commitment to reversing declining education financing and outcomes in developing countries.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called for stronger support for countries seeking to improve education outcomes, urging international financial institutions to help create the fiscal space needed to finance education.
She also highlighted the importance of teacher training and motivation in improving learning outcomes.
The Chairman of the GPE Board of Directors, Jakaya Kikwete, said education remained central to human rights, security and peace, noting that the financing campaign was taking place amid declining development assistance and a widening education financing gap.
Girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai called for greater collaboration among governments and multilateral organisations, particularly on gender equality and the specific educational needs of girls in developing countries.
At the event, governments and donors announced contributions towards education initiatives expected to benefit at least 370 million children globally. Italy pledged €50 million to GPE programmes and interventions.
