Vice President Kashim Shettima has identified education as the public investment with the highest returns.
VP Shettima stated this at a high-level event organised by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Nigeria, along with Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
This was part of his engagements at the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Vice President said every additional year in school increases lifetime earnings and reduces the risks of fragility and conflict.
The event was hosted to discuss the opportunities that investing in quality education presents to the world.
“Well-targeted education financing addresses the root causes of instability, extreme poverty, and youth unemployment, noting that GPE multiplies impact through financing, policy support and targeted incentives,” VP Shettima said.
He noted that GPE mobilises domestic resources and co-financing, multiplying the impact of every dollar invested, just as GPE’s multiplier and co-financing mechanisms have unlocked billions in funding beyond GPE’s grants.
VP Shettima stated: “GPE has a record of mobilising partners and delivering results at scale. Over recent years, the partnership has approved and disbursed significant grant volumes and leveraged innovative financing to reach millions of children.
”In 2024 alone, GPE approved over US$1.2 billion in new grants and mobilised more than US$1.5 billion in co-financing – evidence that the partnership’s model works when it is funded and prioritised.
”It is important to acknowledge that GPE cannot fulfil its mission without predictable and adequate replenishment. In the 2021-2025 cycle, GPE raised approximately US$4.2 billion, a significant achievement, yet still short of what is needed to fully transform education.”
The Vice President said Nigeria is expanding early childhood access, improving teacher training and investing in marginalised regions.
”A notable GPE grant in Nigeria is helping us to integrate religious school children into mainstream education and train teachers across states, especially to support girls’ education,” he pointed out.
The Vice President urged donors to safeguard and increase official development assistance for basic education, prioritise flexible, predictable funding to strengthen systems, and support targeted initiatives such as girls’ education accelerators that deliver significant social returns.
VP Shettima further noted that fully funded replenishment will unlock the essential grants and technical assistance needed in the countries where the impact would be most profound.
“Nigeria stands ready to work with all partners to make GPE 2030 a turning point and replenishment that delivers both scale and measurable learning for the children we are privileged to serve. We hope that our collective action matches the scale of our children’s promise,” VP Shettima added.
Hauwa Abu