The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has inaugurated a state-of-the-art smart secondary school in Radda, Katsina as part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s education system for global competitiveness and digital relevance.
Alausa commissioned the project on Tuesday alongside the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, to equip students with skills suited for a technology-driven global economy.
Speaking on smart School, the minister described the project as a landmark achievement that goes beyond physical infrastructure, adding it was a strategic investment in human capital.
He said 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 aimed at expanding access, strengthening STEMM and technical education, and advancing digital governance.
“The Smart School represents innovation, opportunity, and a clear vision for the future of Nigerian education,” the minister said, while commending the Katsina State Government for prioritising education under its development blueprint.
The commissioning comes amid a wave of federal interventions in the sector. Alausa revealed that over N106 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, matching grants has been accessed by states in the past 18 months.
Additionally, more than N22 billion has been invested in teacher development, with nearly one million educators trained nationwide.
He added that over 10,000 classrooms have been renovated, while more than 7.8 million textbooks have been distributed to schools across the country.
According to him, these efforts are already being complemented by curriculum reforms, including the rollout of a revised primary education curriculum and plans to implement a new secondary curriculum in the next academic session.
The minister also highlighted growing interest in skills-based education, disclosing that over 160,000 youths are currently enrolled in training across more than 1,200 Technical and Vocational Education and Training centres nationwide, with over one million applications recorded in the latest phase.
On digital transformation, Alausa pointed to the deployment of a cloud-based Annual School Census and the introduction of a Learner Identification Number system to improve data accuracy, planning, and accountability.
On his part, Governor Radda said the project reflects his administration’s belief that quality education remains the most critical responsibility of government.
He pledged to replicate the model across all zones of the state, insisting that no child should be denied access to high-standard education.
