Katsina: The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to building a future-ready and globally competitive education system with the inauguration of the Katsina State Smart Model Secondary School in Radda, Katsina State. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, inaugurated the project on Tuesday alongside the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Radda.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the minister described the project as a bold milestone, noting that the Smart School represented more than physical infrastructure but a symbol of innovation, opportunity, and strategic investment in human capital. This initiative is aimed at preparing Nigerian students for a technology-driven global economy.
The minister commended the governor’s leadership under the Build-Your-Future Blueprint, citing Katsina’s progress in expanding access to education, improving infrastructure, and strengthening teacher development as a demonstration of commitment to sustainable development through education. The initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and forms part of broader reforms under the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
He added that the initiative focuses on expanding access to education and strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEMM), as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The initiative also aims to improve infrastructure, promote inclusive education, and advance digital governance.
Alausa disclosed that over N106 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants had been accessed by states in the last 18 months. Investments exceeding N22 billion have been committed to teacher development, while N2.035 billion was disbursed to School-Based Management Committees nationwide. More than 10,000 classrooms have been renovated, 978,000 teachers trained, and over 7.8 million textbooks distributed across the country.
He announced that the revised Primary Education Curriculum is already being implemented nationwide, and the new Secondary Education Curriculum would commence in the next academic session. Alausa also revealed that funding had been secured for the HOPE Education Programme to deepen access, improve quality, and strengthen institutional capacity.
On skills development, more than 160,000 youths are currently undergoing training across over 1,200 TVET centres nationwide, with more than one million applications recorded in the latest phase. Ongoing digital reforms include the rollout of a cloud-based Annual School Census and the introduction of the Learner Identification Number (LIN) to enhance data-driven planning, transparency, and accountability.
The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to inclusive education, noting intensified efforts in collaboration with states to address the challenge of out-of-school children. He emphasized that the Katsina Smart Model Secondary School would serve as a national model for smart education and a catalyst for transformative change in the education sector.
In his remarks, Gov. Radda stated that his administration built the smart model secondary school based on its belief that governments must prioritize education as their foremost responsibility to citizens. He added that the state government would continue to ensure that every zone in Katsina had access to quality education.