The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, is receiving bipartisan commendation from education and policy experts for spearheading a series of reforms aimed at transforming Nigeria’s ailing education sector.
Two notable voices, Dr Dakuku Peterside, former NIMASA Director-General, and Professor Yemi Oke, legal scholar at the University of Lagos, have endorsed Alausa’s initiatives, citing evidence of strategic vision, delivery, and institutional reform within the first year of his tenure. A significant highlight of Alausa’s reform drive is the launch of the Diaspora BRIDGE initiative. This digital platform allows Nigerian professionals abroad to contribute their expertise to local institutions without pay, with the government covering only logistics. The initiative targets sectors such as education, healthcare, and engineering, with plans to expand into agriculture, clean energy, and the creative economy.
Dr Peterside described the BRIDGE programme as a shift from passive remittance dependence, estimated at $20.5 billion in 2024, to “brain circulation,” stating that the effort channels global expertise into national development. The initiative is integrated with the TERAS system under TETFund, providing real-time tracking and performance evaluation. Officials say this ensures transparency and accountability, historically weak points in Nigeria’s public sector education programmes. In another landmark move, Alausa oversaw the disbursement of ₦50 billion in Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) owed to university lecturers, resolving a 20-year standoff that had triggered multiple strikes. Professor Oke lauded the decision, stating: “This is an obligation he inherited, not one he created. However, he showed leadership by settling it.”
