Nigeria and Italy have agreed to establish a Working Group to drive the proposed Global Partnership for Education (GPE) financing campaign aimed at mobilising five billion dollars for education globally.
The initiative, known as the “Multiply Possibility Campaign”, is designed to transform learning opportunities for about 750 million children worldwide and will culminate at the Global Education Summit scheduled for Rome, Italy, in September 2026.
The campaign is also expected to unlock an additional 10 billion dollars in domestic education financing by 2030.
According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this during a meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, in Abuja.
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Odumegwu-Ojukwu said advancing education remains one of the core priorities of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the planned summit is particularly important because of Nigeria’s growing youth population.
She noted that stronger investment in education would provide young people with skills and employment opportunities while also helping to address migration challenges through constructive engagement between both countries.
According to the minister, Nigeria is also exploring green investments, especially in vulnerable communities, to create productive opportunities for youths and reduce the pressure for irregular migration.
“We are interested in what we can do to keep our youth within our shores in productive ways,” she said.
Earlier, Ambassador Mengoni explained that the meeting was necessary for both countries, as co-chairs of the Global Partnership for Education, to agree on the date and venue for the forthcoming summit in Rome.
Beyond education, discussions at the meeting also focused on expanding cooperation between Nigeria and Italy in tourism, economic development and defence.
The engagement highlights the growing bilateral partnership between both nations in promoting education, youth empowerment and sustainable development.
