FG cancels foreign trainings for Nigerian scholars
The Minister of Education, Dr. Mauruf Alausa, announced that the Federal Government has decided to cancel foreign training programs for Nigerian scholars.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a three-day conference organized by the British Council in Abuja on Tuesday, Alausa stated that scholars would now receive training within Nigeria.
The theme of the conference is “Building Sustainable and Relevant Tertiary Institutions and Systems in Africa.”
The minister stated that the Federal Government would invest significantly in building simulation labs and developing the country’s universities.
“We have decided to cancel foreign training for scholars. The amount of money spent to train one scholar abroad can be used to train 20 people here. From now on, we will be training everyone within Nigeria,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Mauruf Alausa, emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to boosting the capacity of Nigerian universities, noting that more resources would be directed towards research, innovation, and the welfare of both academic and non-academic staff.
“We will unleash the potential in our universities,” he said. “We are investing more in research, innovation, and the welfare of our academics and non-academics.”
Alausa also highlighted the government’s focus on empowering youth through education. He explained that the second component of the Federal Government’s six-pillar agenda would center on technical, vocational, and educational training.
“We will incentivize young Nigerians to attend technical colleges and acquire technical skills,” he said. “We will cover their tuition, and when they enter practical training, we will also pay them.”
The minister outlined that the curriculum for technical training would consist of 80% practical, on-the-job training and 20% theoretical learning. Upon completion, the students will receive entrepreneurial grants, not loans.
Addressing concerns about the education budget, Alausa pointed out that people often focus only on the allocation to the Ministry of Education, without considering the additional funding provided for federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Dr. Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, spoke on the importance of building strong and sustainable tertiary institutions in Africa, especially as the continent’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. He stressed that Africa needs institutions capable of producing skilled and employable graduates to harness its growing young population.
“Africa is growing, with a huge youth population,” Montgomery said. “We need to harness the demographic dividend by building sustainable institutions that align with the growing economies and can produce graduates with the skills needed.”
Montgomery added that social progress and economic prosperity depend on a strong higher education system and highlighted the UK-Nigeria transnational education partnership, which aims to strengthen links between Nigerian higher education institutions and UK universities. This partnership seeks to unlock more finance, expertise, and collaborative opportunities for both countries.
In 2022, around 750,000 international students studied in the UK, many of whom came from Africa, Montgomery noted.
Mr. Steve Smith, the UK Prime Minister’s International Education Champion, discussed the UK’s international education strategy, emphasizing education as a tool for social and economic transformation. He underscored the importance of creating strong, internationally connected education systems that foster knowledge sharing, innovation, and a welcoming environment for global students.
“In Africa, this means listening to African voices and leaders to develop respectful and equitable UK-Africa partnerships,” Smith said. “These partnerships should support research collaborations and align educational goals with the evolving needs of society, all based on mutual respect.”
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
