The Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, has criticised years of education spending by development partners in parts of Nigeria, describing many of the interventions as ineffective due to poor use of data in planning and monitoring outcomes.
Speaking on Thursday at the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure National Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja, the minister said nearly 80 per cent of education-related development financing over the past decade had been concentrated in two geopolitical zones with some of the country’s lowest literacy and numeracy levels.
According to Alausa, the concentration of funding in those regions has not translated into measurable improvements in learning outcomes, raising concerns about the effectiveness of past interventions.
“As we look at our data, about 80 per cent of development bank financing and development partners’ investments over the last 10 years have gone to two geopolitical zones in the country,” the minister said.
“And those two zones have the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in the country. So, it is like a wasted investment,” he added.
The minister stressed the importance of adopting data-driven strategies in the education sector, noting that reliable statistics and proper monitoring systems are essential for achieving meaningful reforms.
He explained that poor planning, weak evaluation systems, and inadequate use of educational data have contributed to the failure of several interventions aimed at improving access to quality education across the country.
Alausa also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, and stakeholders to build a more effective education data infrastructure capable of guiding policy decisions and resource allocation.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria’s education data systems to improve transparency, accountability, and learning outcomes nationwide.
