The federal government on Monday unveiled three new national education policies, shifting the sector’s focus from policy formulation to practical implementation.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, at the unveiling of the documents in Abuja, said the ministry had adopted an 80 per cent implementation and 20 per cent policy development model in line with international standards.

Mr Alausa stressed that Nigeria’s education reforms must now translate into measurable outcomes across all states.

The minister appreciated the continued support of development partners, including UNESCO, UNICEF, and others, for Nigeria’s education sector.

He stated that the new policies would either improve existing ones or address areas where no policy previously existed.

Mr Alausa stressed that policy is just 10 per cent of the work, adding, “Implementation is the heart of what we do, and the commissioners will drive this work, while the federal government will provide the technical support and resources required.

“The first of the three policies presented is the National Teachers’ Policy alongside its implementation guidelines.

”The policy is designed to strengthen teacher quality, upgrade competencies, and improve professional development.”

Mr Alausa said the government had accelerated the digitalisation of teacher training programmes and would soon launch a digital platform for continuous professional development.

He added that the government was working to ensure that all public school teachers are licensed by the Teacher Registration Council to produce the best students.

The minister said the second policy document on Drug and Substance Abuse in Schools was meant to address the rising rate of drug and substance abuse among students in secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

“This is the first time Nigeria is developing a national policy and implementation guideline on drug abuse in schools,” the minister said.

He added that the policy incorporated counselling and behavioural support, but affirmed that the government would not hesitate to punish repeat offenders.

Mr Alausa said, “We must protect our youth. Addiction destroys lives, and President Bola Tinubu believes strongly in the capacity of Nigerians.”

Also speaking, Lawal Olorungbebe, the Kwara commissioner for education and human capital development, pledged to fully implement the new policies.

Mr Olorungbebe emphasised that while policies were formulated at the federal level, implementation rested squarely with the states.

“Most of the implementation steps can easily be captured in our 2025 project plans for those who have not gone beyond that stage,” he explained.

He, however, pledged the unwavering commitment of all state commissioners of education to ensuring the policies translate into concrete results across the federation.

“We’ll do our best to ensure that every part of these policies is well implemented. We are strategic, decisive, and deliberate. We will do everything we can,” he stated.

(NAN)