The maiden edition of the National Education Quality Assurance Policy Committee Meeting is currently underway at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna.
Organised by the Federal Education Quality Assurance Service, Department of the Federal Ministry of Education, the event will run from September 2 to 4, 2025. It was declared open by the Minister of Education, Mr. Tunji Alausa, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Abel Enitan.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji-Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, the minister commended committee members for their commitment. He noted that the conference theme, “Improving Education Quality Assurance Policies, Processes, and Practices in Nigeria,” was both timely and crucial.
Enitan emphasised that Nigeria must now move beyond merely ensuring access to education to strengthening its quality. He explained that the committee was not conceived as another bureaucratic framework but as a strategic intervention to reposition education quality assurance as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s national education agenda.
“We are here to review, refine, and revitalise the policies, processes, and practices that govern how we ensure quality at the basic and secondary levels of education,” Enitan stated.
He further noted that the focus would be on harmonising regulations and standards across the education sector, strengthening monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and leveraging technology for real-time data collection and analysis. This, he said, would ensure inclusiveness and accessibility of quality assurance, especially in underserved areas.
Also speaking, the Director of the Federal Education Quality Assurance Service Department, Mr. Adegboye Adekunle, said the establishment of the committee was the outcome of extensive peer review, stakeholder engagement, and robust deliberations aimed at addressing foundational challenges in Nigeria’s education system.
He listed the challenges as disparities in learning outcomes, curriculum modernisation, teacher quality and welfare, infrastructure gaps, and the urgent need to align education with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy.
Adekunle explained that the committee would provide strategic direction, oversight, and technical leadership in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of a comprehensive quality assurance framework for all levels of education in Nigeria.
The Director and Chief Executive of NTI, Prof. Sadiya Sani-Daura, in a goodwill message delivered by Dr. Kayode Jegede, expressed delight that the Institute was hosting the maiden meeting. She expressed optimism that the deliberations would yield valuable insights and strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s education quality assurance system.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Abubakar Usman-Zaria, Director-General of the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, while papers were presented by the Director-General of the Benue Bureau for Education Quality Assurance and other directors of quality assurance.
The meeting is being attended by Quality Assurance Directors from various states, representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, development partners, including Dr. James Fatakum from FCDO/PLANE, and other key stakeholders. It will conclude on Thursday, September 4.
