Have you ever wondered who is the Minister of Education in Nigeria? You are not alone. With regular cabinet reshuffles and government restructuring, it can be difficult to determine who is now in charge of Nigeria’s educational system and policy. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Nigeria’s current Minister of Education is a professor who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in 2025. He wants to reorient Nigeria’s education system so that pupils are more prepared for the 21st-century employment market. Continue reading to learn more about Who is the Minister of Education in Nigeria, priorities, and educational goals.
Who is the Minister of Education in Nigeria Today?
Who is the Minister of Education in Nigeria? Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, an accomplished educator and proponent of gender equality, is Nigeria’s current Minister of State for Education. Dr. Ahmad has over 17 years of expertise in education and has made a name for himself in both academic and policy circles. She has worked as a lecturer at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where she also directs the Centre for Gender Studies.
Her time at the university has seen her serve in different positions, including coordinating levels, handling examinations, serving as a postgraduate coordinator, and holding the position of Sub-Dean of Academics. She also served as Head of the Department of Science Education. Dr. Ahmad earned a PhD in Science Education from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, as well as a Master’s in Curriculum Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Bayero University.
Dr. Ahmad has also advised reputable organizations such as the British Council and The Policy Practice, as well as contributing to programs aimed at strengthening the Nigerian government and educational quality.
For example, she oversaw a British Council research project aimed at increasing educational opportunities for girls in Jigawa State. She has also provided strategic guidance on governance challenges for initiatives such as the Partnership to Engage, Reform, and Learn (PERL).
List of Minister of Education in Nigeria
The Federal Ministry of Education of Nigeria was created in 1958, demonstrating the country’s strong commitment to education. This occurred while Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Prime Minister.
However, the ministry’s role is to develop regulations and norms for education in Nigeria. It ensures that educational standards are met and collaborates with other educational agencies. The ministry has had numerous different leaders over the years as the country’s politics have changed.
Below is a detailed look at significant persons who have served as Nigeria’s Ministers of Education from the past to the present.
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Aja Nwachukwu (1958–1965)
Aja Nwachukwu was Nigeria’s first Minister of Education upon independence. His term focused on developing a system that coordinated educational policies across areas and promoting free primary education initiatives. He established core principles to promote unity through education.
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Richard Akinjide (1965–1966)
Richard Akinjide was a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He was Minister of Education in the First Republic and Minister of Justice in the Second Republic.
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Wenike Briggs (1966–1971)
During his tenure in the late 1970s, Wenike Briggs fought for increased secondary education availability. He also advocated for more university financing to close the education gap in Nigeria and meet international standards.
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Abudu Yesufu Eke (1971–1975)
He was a journalist, politician, television producer, and scholar who served as federal education commissioner from October 1971 to 1975.
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Ahmadu Ali (1975–1978)
Ahmadu Adah Ali (born March 1, 1936) is a retired Nigerian military commander, physician, and politician. Ali worked as the Deputy Director of Army Medical Services and Chief Consulting Physician at the Military Hospital in Kaduna. He was appointed Minister of Education in 1975, following his tenure as the National Youth Service Corps’ first Director-General in 1973.
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Garrick Barilee Leton (1978–1979)
He was an Ogoni activist who served as the minister of education from 1978 to 1979.
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Elizabeth Ivase (1979-1982)
Mrs Elizabeth Iyase was the minister of education under the Second Republic. She is a trailblazer, whose remarkable performance inspired many girl pupils to pursue education seriously.
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Dr. S.I. Taiwo (1980s)
Dr. Taiwo’s efforts were primarily focused on vocational and technical education, with a strong emphasis on preparing Nigerian students for both academic and technical jobs.
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Ihechukwu Mabuduike (December 1979-1981)
Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike was a former minister of education in the Second Republic (1979-1983) when Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and Shehu Shagari’s National Party of Nigeria (NPN) formed an accord cabinet. In the 1990s, he was also Nigeria’s Minister of Health under former President General Sani Abacha’s administration.
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Sylvester Ugo (1981 – October 1983)
Dr. Sylvester Ugoh is a Harvard-trained economist who formerly served as Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Education. Ugoh was also the governor of the Bank of Biafra, the Biafran central bank.
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Sunday Afolabi (October 1983-December 1983)
Chief Sunday Afolabi was a Nigerian politician who served in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s cabinet as Minister of Internal Affairs from 1999 to 2003. He also served as Minister of Education in President Shehu Shagari’s administration from 1982 to 1983.
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Yarima Ibrahim Abdullahi (1984–1985)
Yarima Ibrahim Abdullahi, born October 1, 1939, is a Nigerian administrator, banker, and former Minister of Housing, Education, and Works. He graduated from Manchester University in Britain. He also served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei.
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Abdullah Ibrahim (1985).
Abdullahi Ibrahim was a Nigerian attorney, politician, and administrator. He was the federal minister of justice and education.
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Jibril Aminu (1985-1989)
Aminu is a Nigerian politician and cardiology professor. Aminu served as Federal Minister of Education. He was also Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003, and from 2003 to 2011, he represented Adamawa Central in the Senate.
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Professor Babatunde Fafunwa (1990–1992).
Professor Babatunde Fafunwa, one of Nigeria’s most well-known educators, was instrumental in promoting mother-tongue instruction in early childhood education. His changes aimed to improve the quality of basic education and boost teacher training efforts.
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Ben Nwabueze (January 1993–November 1993)
Ben Nwabueze was the first academic lawyer to be appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1978, solely based on his written publications. He was one of Nigeria’s leading constitutional lawyers and former Minister of Education
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Iyorchia Ayu (1993-1995)
Iyorchia Ayu is a Nigerian politician and former Minister of Education.
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M T Liman (1995–1997)
Mohammed Tukur Liman was elected Senator for Katsina South in Katsina State, Nigeria, at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, campaigning on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He also served as Minister of Education.
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Iyabo Anisulowo (February 1997–December 1997)
Mrs. Iyabo is an educator and advocate for gender equality in Africa. She began as a classroom teacher and rose to the position of education minister.
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Dauda Birma (1997–1997)
Dauda Birma was a former Minister of Education. He was also the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) while holding several positions in the northern region.
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Samuel Olaiya Oni (1998-1999)
Samuel Olaiya Oni was a Nigerian professor and politician who served as Minister of Education from August 1998 to June 1999, under General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
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Tunde Adeniran (1999–2001)
He is a politician, diplomat, and a former Minister of Education from Nigeria. He was a former UN staff member and a retired political science instructor at the University of Ibadan after many years of teaching in Nigeria and America.
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Professor Babalola Borishade (2001–2003)
During Borishade’s term, reforms aimed to ensure educational standards and institutional autonomy. His initiatives paved the way for policies that improved teacher education and strengthened secondary education systems.
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Hajia Bintu Musa (July 2003 – June 2005)
Hajia Bintu was the Minister of State for Education. During her term, she sought to ensure that the federal government adequately funds education in the country. She was replaced by Fabian Osuji.
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Fabian Osuji (2003–2005)
Nigerian politician Fabian Ngozichukwu Chinedum Osuji served as the Federal Minister of Education from July 2003 to March 2005.
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Chinwe Obaji (2005–2006)
Chinwe Obaji, a higher education lecturer, teacher, and education administrator, was appointed Senior Minister of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education in June 2005 followed by Obiageli Ezekwesili a year later.
Dr. Grace Ogwuche, a former minister of state for education, served briefly in 2006. Ogwuche was the second female minister from Benue State, following Elizabeth Ivase, and the first from the Idoma area. She also served in other capacities in the Federal government, such as the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Youth Development and Special Duties, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, and Education.
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Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili (2006–2007).
Dr. Ezekwesili, who is well-known for her contributions to enhancing openness in governance, carried the same zeal for reform in the education sector. She applied the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to education, emphasizing infrastructure development and improved teacher training programs. Her reforms had a lasting impact on Nigerian educational practices.
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Aishatu Jibril Dukku (2007-2010)
Aishatu Jibril Dukku, an educationist, was born on December 18, 1963. She began her journey as a school teacher in 1987. Her path to educational leadership began when she became the former Principal of Federal Government Girl’s College in Bajoga, Gombe State. Before becoming the Federal Minister of State for Education during the late Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua’s presidency, she held many other educational leadership roles.
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Igwe Aja Nwachukwu (2007–2008)
Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu was a Nigerian politician. He served as Nigeria’s education minister until December 17, 2008.
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Sam Egwu (2008–2010)
Dr. Egwu is recognized as a pillar of educational growth in Ebonyi State and Nigeria. He was a senior lecturer at Enugu State University of Technology and the commissioner of education in Ebonyi State. He later served as Minister of Education from 2008 to 2010.
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Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa’i (2010-2013)
Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i was Nigeria’s Minister of Education from 2010 until 2014, under President Goodluck Jonathan. She attended Bayero University Kano, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Her passion for school led her to earn a PhD in school from West Virginia University in the United States.
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Nyesom Wike (2013–2014) – supervising
Wike is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who has been the minister of the Federal Capital Territory since 2023. He formerly served as Governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, as well as Acting Minister of Education in Nigeria.
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Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (2014–2015)
Ibrahim Shekarau spent his brief reign campaigning for a more open and egalitarian educational system. His goals included expanding higher education possibilities and adopting a more systematic approach to curriculum reform.
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Adamu Adamu (2015–2023)
Adamu Adamu had one of Nigeria’s longest tenures as Minister of Education. During his administration, several key reforms were implemented, including reducing the number of out-of-school children, reintroducing history into the school curriculum, and implementing the National Teachers Institute reforms. Under his leadership, efforts were made to improve teacher well-being and expand access to high-quality education.
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Professor Tahir Mamman (2023–2024)
Tahir Mamman SAN OON (born 7 July 1954) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, academic, and a former minister of education of Nigeria.
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Dr. Morufu Olatunji (2024)
Morufu Olatunji is a Nigerian politician, physician, and public official. He was appointed as Minister of Education on October 24, 2024, replacing Prof. Tahir Mamman.
Dr. Suwaiba Said (2025)
Along with the recent nomination of Dr. Morufu Olatunji as the new Minister of Education, Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad assumed the post of the former Minister of State for Education. Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad is a renowned Nigerian educationist, gender advocate, and consultant with over 17 years of experience in the education field. She is currently a lecturer at Bayero University Kano.
There have been numerous Ministers of Education in Nigeria’s history, each contributing to the progressive advancement and development of the country’s education system during the decades since independence. The current minister is continuing the critical task of increasing access, enhancing quality, and boosting outcomes at all levels of education.
Conclusion
So there you have it: Nigeria’s current Minister of Education is Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad. While the ministry has experienced numerous obstacles recently, Adamu appears committed to making constructive reforms and improving education for Nigeria’s children. His goals of increasing enrollment, improving teacher training, and reforming curricula are desirable and important for the country’s future.