Education Minister Identifies Limited Access as Nigeria’s Biggest Challenge

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has identified limited access to education as Nigeria’s biggest challenge, saying the country’s education crisis is not about enrolment numbers but the inability of millions of children to progress through the school system.

Alausa spoke on Wednesday at the 2026 Annual Education Summit, where stakeholders from government, academia and civil society gathered to discuss strategies for improving learning outcomes and access across Nigeria’s education system.

The minister said many children who enrol in primary school fail to complete their basic education, pointing to dropout rates, inadequate infrastructure and socioeconomic barriers as key factors preventing children from progressing through the system.

Separately, the Federal Government confirmed that the National Examinations Council’s Computer Based Test format for the Senior School Certificate Examination had significantly reduced opportunities for examination malpractice, following reports of a smooth exercise nationwide.

Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, said she personally monitored the ongoing CBT exercise and received positive feedback from candidates on the new testing format’s reliability and fairness.

Education stakeholders at the summit called for sustained investment in school infrastructure and teacher training to complement policy efforts aimed at improving retention and completion rates across the country’s basic education system.