By Gideon Maxwell
May 21, 2025
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, met with His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, in London on Monday to advance a shared commitment to youth development and skills training through strategic educational collaboration.
The high-level engagement focused on aligning the mission of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation with Nigeria’s National Skills Enhancement, Reintegration, and Innovation (NESRI) agenda.
Dr. Alausa affirmed that Nigeria’s forthcoming launch of its national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme on May 30 reflects the same core values of youth empowerment and holistic development championed by the Foundation.
According to a press statement from the Minister’s office, the Duke of Edinburgh Foundation supports a scholarship framework grounded in four core criteria: skill acquisition, physical education, volunteerism, and adventurous learning.
These components, Dr. Alausa noted, resonate strongly with the objectives of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to equip young Nigerians, particularly the 80% who may not proceed to tertiary education with life skills for success in an evolving global economy.
“The Foundation’s vision complements our national education reform goals,” Dr. Alausa said, “and we are determined to ensure that no young Nigerian is left behind in this new era of opportunity and transformation.”
A significant outcome of the meeting is the announcement that the next Duke of Edinburgh International Forum will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, in November 2025.
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Dr. Alausa expressed the Ministry’s full support and confirmed Nigeria’s commitment to hosting a successful event that will further energise youth development efforts across Africa.
The collaboration underscores a renewed phase in Nigeria–UK educational ties, centred on inclusion, skill-building, and preparing the next generation for meaningful participation in the global workforce.
