Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has launched an urgent drive to revive hundreds of stalled and underutilised education projects across the country, warning that unfinished and locked school facilities are denying thousands of children access to learning.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa on Tuesday inaugurated a ministerial committee tasked with accelerating the completion and operationalisation of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools as part of efforts to close education gaps and improve access for vulnerable children.
The move comes amid concerns that several publicly funded school projects remain abandoned, unoccupied or inactive despite substantial investments and near completion.
“These initiatives remain among the most innovative interventions in the history of basic education in Nigeria,” Alausa said during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja.
However, he warned that physical infrastructure alone cannot solve Nigeria’s education challenges.
“Infrastructure alone does not educate a child. A completed building without pupils is simply an empty structure. A furnished classroom without teachers remains an idle investment,” the minister said.
The newly inaugurated committee is expected to oversee the transition of the schools from construction stages to full operation, including teacher deployment, student enrolment and delivery of learning outcomes.
According to Alausa, the intervention forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises human capital development and expanded access to quality education.
He said Smart Schools are designed to equip learners with digital and technological skills needed in the future economy, while Bilingual Schools aim to promote inclusion and improve educational outcomes in diverse communities.
“Every day a completed school remains locked represents lost opportunities for thousands of Nigerian children,” Alausa said.
“The success of this assignment will not be measured by reports or meetings but by how many schools have become operational and are educating Nigerian children,” he added.
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