In a statement issued on Friday by Ikharo Attah, his special adviser on communications and media, Alausa described the rescue as a demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to protecting schoolchildren and ensuring the safety of Nigerians.

The minister said Tinubu showed steadfast leadership by ensuring that every effort was made to secure the release of the victims.

Alausa also praised Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, and the state government for working closely with security agencies during the rescue operation and supporting the victims’ rehabilitation and reintegration.

He commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other security and intelligence agencies involved in the operation for what he described as their professionalism, courage and coordination.

“The successful rescue of these innocent children and their teachers is a moment of great relief for the nation. It reflects the determination of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to protect the lives of Nigerians and demonstrates the growing effectiveness of collaboration among the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government and our security agencies,” the statement reads.

“On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, I congratulate Mr President on this important achievement. I also commend the Oyo State Government for its support and commitment throughout this difficult period, and sincerely appreciate the bravery, patriotism and tireless efforts of all the security personnel whose dedication made this rescue possible.

“Their collective efforts have restored hope to the affected families and reassured Nigerians that our institutions remain resolute in confronting criminality.”

The minister expressed sympathy to the rescued pupils, teachers and their families over the trauma they experienced during their 56 days in captivity and prayed for their physical and psychological recovery.

Alausa reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to strengthen school safety across the country in line with the Tinubu administration’s renewed hope agenda.

He also urged communities, parents, school authorities and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and continue supporting government efforts by cooperating with security agencies to keep schools safe for teaching and learning.

On Friday, the abducted pupils and teachers regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity following a coordinated operation involving the military, the DSS and the police.

On May 15, gunmen attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School, all in Oriire LGA of Oyo state, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers. One of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed in captivity.

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Garba spoke on Thursday in Abuja during a media luncheon with education correspondents, where she highlighted the commission’s achievements under its 2025–2031 strategic blueprint.

According to her, the recovered funds are being deployed to improve learning environments through the construction and rehabilitation of schools, provision of learning facilities and expansion of access to quality basic education.

She said UBEC, in collaboration with state universal basic education boards (SUBEBs), has constructed more than 4,600 classrooms and renovated over 6,100 others nationwide.

Garba said the commission has also provided 2,780 toilet facilities, drilled 678 boreholes and supplied more than 334,000 pieces of school furniture to public schools.

She added that UBEC has supported the establishment of more than 2,300 early childhood care development and education (ECCDE) centres to strengthen foundational learning for young children.

N20.4BN INVESTED IN TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

The UBEC boss said the commission has invested over N20.4 billion in teacher professional development programmes aimed at improving classroom instruction, strengthening school leadership and enhancing accountability through the effective schools programme and school-based management committees.

She added that the commission is accelerating digital transformation in basic education by expanding digital literacy centres, strengthening Smart Schools and promoting the teaching of artificial intelligence (AI), coding and robotics.

According to her, the initiatives are designed to equip learners with the skills required in a technology-driven economy.

Garba also disclosed that UBEC has distributed more than 7.8 million instructional materials to schools across the country to improve literacy, numeracy and foundational learning outcomes.

She said the commission is expanding access to education through programmes such as Open Schooling, Integrated Qur’anic and Tsangaya Education, girl-child education and inclusive education initiatives.

She added that UBEC is strengthening collaboration with state governments, development partners and the private sector to improve education delivery.

The executive secretary said the commission has introduced institutional reforms to improve transparency, strengthen project monitoring and promote data-driven decision-making to ensure greater value for public investment in education.

Garba described the media as a critical stakeholder in advancing basic education reforms and urged journalists to sustain balanced, factual and constructive reporting.

She reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of background or location, has access to safe, inclusive, equitable and quality basic education.

According to her, achieving lasting transformation in the sector requires the collective efforts of governments, communities, parents, teachers, development partners and the media.

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Tunji Alausa, minister of education, spoke on Thursday in Abuja while receiving Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general and chief executive officer (CEO) of NIMC, during a courtesy visit.

The minister said the partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of using technology to improve governance, transparency and service delivery, adding that the education sector would provide full support to the commission in strengthening Nigeria’s identity management system.

Alausa commended NIMC for what he described as significant progress in modernising the country’s identity infrastructure.

“I am delighted that NIMC, under the leadership of Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, is setting standards that are comparable with the best anywhere in the world in identity management,” he said.

“Within a short period, the agency has been transformed in ways never seen before. This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision and the mandate he has given you. You have worked tirelessly to make the President proud by implementing every aspect of that mandate.”

The minister said the recently signed NIMC Act had strengthened the legal framework for collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, paving the way for what he described as “a single source of truth” for identity management across the country.

“Let me assure you that we in the education sector are your strongest partners. We will support everything your agency is doing to strengthen trust and credibility in Nigeria’s identity management system,” he said.

80 MILLION LEARNERS TO BE CAPTURED

Alausa said the education sector would play a critical role in developing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure because it holds one of the country’s largest repositories of citizen data.

According to him, about 67 million learners are enrolled in Nigeria’s basic and post-basic education system, including early childhood, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.

He added that when students in tertiary institutions and technical and vocational education programmes are included, the number rises to nearly 80 million people — almost one-third of Nigeria’s estimated population.

“The education sector represents one of the largest pools of citizens in the country. Therefore, collaboration between NIMC and the education sector is essential,” he said.

The minister disclosed that the ministry had already developed the National Learners’ Identification Number (NLIN), which is now being aligned with the National Identification Number (NIN) to harmonise learner records with the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).

He said integrating the systems would enable government to verify learners’ identities, generate credible education statistics and improve planning, monitoring and policy implementation.

“This gives us access to credible biometric information linked to each learner’s NIN. We can now verify every learner’s identity and determine whether the individual is a Nigerian citizen or a legal resident with a valid identification number,” Alausa said.

“This enables us to aggregate and disaggregate education data accurately, providing evidence-based information for policy formulation, interventions, planning, monitoring and evaluation.”

Reaffirming the ministry’s commitment, he added: “Today, DG, I could not be happier with the progress we have made together. You have our full commitment. Whatever support you require from us to make your work easier in establishing a single source of truth for Nigeria, we will provide it.”

Responding, Coker-Odusote commended the minister for the ongoing reforms in the education sector, describing them as transformative.

“On behalf of NIMC and indeed all Nigerians, we commend you for the remarkable work you have done. The transformation you have brought to the education sector is truly outstanding,” she said.

She assured the ministry of NIMC’s continued support in strengthening identity management across the education sector.

“As the custodian of Nigeria’s identity system, NIMC will continue to support your efforts to strengthen identity management within the education sector,” she said.

The collaboration forms part of the federal government’s broader digital transformation agenda under the renewed hope programme.

It is expected to improve education planning, eliminate duplicate learner records, strengthen transparency in government interventions and promote data-driven policymaking by integrating the national learners’ identification number with the national identification number (NIN) and the national education management information system (NEMIS).

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Speaking on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the organising committee for the 2026 national research fair and exhibition, Sonny Echono, TETFund executive secretary, said the initiative is designed to transform research outputs into marketable products and services capable of creating jobs, wealth and driving national development.

Unlike the maiden edition held in 2024, the 2026 exhibition will no longer be limited to TETFund beneficiary institutions.

Echono said every Nigerian with a viable innovation would have the opportunity to participate, regardless of educational background or institutional affiliation.

“We will advertise for entries and any Nigerian who has developed a product, a service or any form of innovation will be given the opportunity to apply,” he said.

“The committee will assess the submissions and select those with strong commercial potential for exhibition.

“We want this fair to become the one-stop shop for all inventors, innovators and researchers in Nigeria. We are extending participation beyond our traditional beneficiary institutions because innovation is not limited to the university system.”

He said the exhibition would serve as a meeting point for researchers, manufacturers, investors, venture capitalists, technology licensing professionals and entrepreneurs to facilitate the movement of promising innovations from laboratories to the marketplace.

“Our goal is to create a conducive environment where researchers, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists and technology licensing professionals can meet and work together to commercialise these innovations,” he added.

Echono said TETFund’s board of trustees approved the expansion and reconstitution of the organising committee following the success of the inaugural edition.

He said the committee now includes representatives of the organised private sector, innovation hubs, relevant government ministries, the military and the Association of Nigerian Inventors.

According to him, the committee will document research outputs from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, research institutes and independent innovators, develop a national database of innovations, cluster technologies by sector and facilitate partnerships capable of attracting investment.

Echono also announced that an international conference would hold alongside the exhibition to position Nigeria as a leading innovation destination in Africa.

“The conference will bring experts from Africa and beyond to share experiences and best practices so that Nigeria can strengthen its research ecosystem and become a leading innovation hub on the continent,” he said.

The TETFund boss said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by promoting local manufacturing, industrialisation, job creation and wealth generation.

“In the knowledge economy, innovation is the competitive edge. Nigeria is richly endowed with intellectual assets. Our responsibility is to harness those assets to solve our national problems, promote local manufacturing, create jobs and generate wealth,” Echono said.

“We want the attendance to be rich. We want you to facilitate the process of mainstreaming these technologies into the Nigerian market to generate employment and create wealth for Nigerians.”

Earlier, Suleiman Zangina, TETFund’s director of research and development, said the fund had invested significantly in research and development over the years, with many projects already producing innovations ready for commercialisation.

“Several of the research projects funded by the National Research Fund have produced promising outputs that can be scaled up to the level of commercialisation,” he said.

Zangina explained that the National Research Fair was conceived to bridge the long-standing gap between researchers and industry.

“The National Research Fair was initiated to provide a platform where researchers and industry could have a handshake, so that research outputs can be translated into goods and services for the benefit of society,” he added.

He expressed confidence that the newly inaugurated committee would build on the success of the maiden edition.

Also speaking, Umar Bindir, chairman of the organising committee, said Nigeria’s research had yet to make the desired impact on economic development because of weak collaboration between academia and industry.

He said the committee would prioritise private sector participation to ensure research outputs are transformed into commercially viable products.

“We must build a bridge across the valley between knowledge generation and the people. Research should improve lives, create industries and reduce poverty,” Bindir said.

He described the expanded role of the private sector as a major innovation that would distinguish the 2026 exhibition.

“This time, the private sector will not just attend the exhibition; it will play a central role because commercialisation can only happen when industry takes ownership. We will leave no stone unturned. In fact, we will remove the stones completely to ensure this initiative succeeds.”

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Musa spoke in Sokoto on Wednesday during the inauguration of 62 operational vehicles and security equipment valued at N27.1 billion, procured by the Sokoto state government to strengthen security operations.

The minister said troops should not hesitate to confront bandits and terrorists in the course of their operations.

“Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist,” he said.

“I want to make that very loud and clear. Anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit.”

Musa also urged personnel to ensure the proper maintenance of the newly acquired operational vehicles and equipment.

He noted that the assets, which cost billions of naira, represented a significant investment in improving security and should be handled responsibly.

“It is important for those who will handle this equipment. This equipment cost billions of naira that could have been used for other purposes but have been dedicated to this,” he said.

“So, I want to charge you that you must maintain this equipment very well. We will come after a year to see how this equipment is doing.”

The defence minister said the investment underscores the commitment of the Sokoto state government to strengthening security operations and supporting security agencies in tackling banditry and terrorism.

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The company gave the commendation in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the project would improve industrial activities, logistics and economic development in the area.

The road, which was inaugurated on May 26 as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Abia state government, links the Nigerian Breweries facility in Aba with neighbouring industrial and commercial communities.

Thibaut Boidin, managing director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, described the reconstruction of the road as evidence of the impact of strategic investment in infrastructure on economic growth.

According to him, quality infrastructure remains critical to industrial productivity, efficient logistics and sustainable economic development.

“The road serves as a critical gateway to industrial and commercial activities in the area, making its rehabilitation a welcome development for businesses, residents and commuters alike,” Boidin said.

“We commend His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, and the Abia State Government for prioritising infrastructure as a key driver of economic growth.

“For Nigerian Breweries, this road is more than just a transportation corridor. It is a vital link that supports business operations, facilitates the movement of people and goods, and connects enterprises to markets.

“Its reconstruction will improve accessibility, reduce logistical challenges, and contribute to increased productivity.”

Boidin also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to partnering with governments and other stakeholders to create an enabling environment for sustainable industrial growth, economic development and shared prosperity in the communities where it operates.

The company said the reconstruction of the road represents another milestone in its partnership with the Abia state government to support industrial development and improve infrastructure in the state.

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Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Asiya said the family was not asking the president to halt the prosecution of the former governor or interfere with the judicial process but to ensure he receives fair treatment.

Her appeal came hours after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed the arrest of Bello Abubakar, el-Rufai’s personal physician.

Flanked by Aichatou el-Rufai, another wife of the former governor, Asiya alleged that her husband, who she said is being treated for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, had been denied access to his doctors.

Addressing Tinubu directly, she recalled supporting his 2023 presidential campaign and urged him to intervene to ensure El-Rufai’s rights are protected.

“Mr President, I campaigned for you. I went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves?” she said.

“The ball is in your court. All these can stop if you say a word. We believe you are a father and can empathise.”

Asiya said the family was only asking that El-Rufai be granted bail on reasonable terms and allowed access to medical care, relatives and lawyers while his trial continues.

“We are not asking you to stop the prosecution. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court decide. We are only asking that he be given the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” she said.

She alleged that the former governor’s continued detention and restrictions on visits had left the family traumatised.

“We live in constant fear that we will wake up and hear bad news,” she said, describing the situation as “psychological warfare” against both El-Rufai and his family.

Asiya also questioned the reported decision to deny Bello Abubakar access to the former governor.

“We were told that orders from ‘above’ said Professor Bello Abubakar cannot have access to anybody for 24 hours. Who is the ‘above’?” she asked.

The family further alleged that El-Rufai had been denied regular access to his personal doctors and that visits by relatives had become increasingly restricted.

They also raised concerns about a medical report reportedly issued by the National Hospital Abuja, questioning its authenticity and calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding its issuance.

According to the family, the restrictions have also hampered El-Rufai’s ability to prepare his legal defence because of limited access to his lawyers.

They urged the authorities to grant him bail on terms he can reasonably meet pending the conclusion of his trial, insisting that the courts should determine his guilt or innocence.

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The denial follows a newspaper report claiming that the minister was responsible for delaying the resumption of newly employed personnel.

A senior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to comment publicly, said there was no approval for any ongoing recruitment exercise at NELFUND.

According to the source, the agency is already overstaffed, with some employees reportedly lacking office space and clearly defined responsibilities.

“We can authoritatively state that there is no approval for any recruitment exercise in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), as the agency is overstaffed, with many personnel without office space or defined schedules of duty,” the source said.

The official described reports linking the minister to the alleged delay as “false and misleading”.

According to the source, the issue predates the minister’s involvement and was first raised during a meeting between NELFUND’s executive management and Jim Ovia, chairman of the agency’s board, in Lagos.

The source alleged that Ovia halted the recruitment process after it emerged that the exercise had not received board approval or been formally considered by the agency’s management.

The official further claimed that three executive directors requested evidence of authorisation for the recruitment from the managing director but did not receive a response.

The source also alleged that despite objections from senior officials, the managing director proceeded with the recruitment exercise and documentation outside established administrative procedures.

According to the ministry official, the board chairman directed that individuals recruited through the disputed process should not be placed on the agency’s payroll pending further review.

The source added that Ovia also ordered a comprehensive review of staff grades and ranks to ensure compliance with internal procedures.

The ministry official further alleged that after management met with the minister, the managing director held a private meeting with close aides and indicated an intention to continue with the recruitment exercise.

The source advised that the agency’s board secretary and executive director of operations could verify the directives reportedly issued during the Lagos meeting.

The official also claimed that about 80 percent of NELFUND’s workforce is currently redundant, adding that the issue was acknowledged by the agency’s leadership during a recent management meeting.

According to the source, the minister’s intervention helped prevent what was described as an organisational crisis.

NELFUND had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.

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