The Honourable Minister of Finance delivered a strong and heartfelt message during the 2025 International Students’ Day celebration hosted by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement. Her remarks underscored the shared responsibility of all Nigerians in protecting, nurturing, and empowering the nation’s youth.
She began by offering prayers for the recovery of a staff member recently injured in a shooting incident and called for the safe return of the 25 abducted schoolgirls, stressing that no student should ever endure such trauma. She commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies for their continued efforts to create safer learning environments across the country.
As Mother of the Day at the celebration, the Minister praised the Senior Special Assistant on Student Engagement for his dedication to student welfare, noting that they have been working closely to address student challenges and strengthen engagement nationwide.
In her remarks, she emphasized that the development and well-being of Nigerian students extend beyond the education sector, reiterating that the youth who constitute about 70% of the country’s population represent one of Nigeria’s greatest national assets. She explained that the responsibility of nurturing young people belongs to all citizens and institutions, not just those in the education sector, and that every stakeholder who cares about Nigeria must contribute to shaping future leaders.
The Minister congratulated the outstanding students honored at the event, acknowledging their academic achievements and noting that future editions will also celebrate student excellence in sports, the arts, and the creative industries. She reaffirmed that education remains one of the world’s most powerful drivers of innovation, institutional strength, and national prosperity, and stressed the importance of continued government investment in human capital development.
She went on to highlight the administration’s efforts to strengthen school safety through the Safe Schools Initiative and ongoing collaborations with international partners, including the World Bank. She restated the ministry’s commitment to improving educational financing, expanding scholarships, enhancing skills training, and deepening financial literacy among young people.
Closing her address, the Minister expressed heartfelt appreciation for educators, school administrators, and mentors, whose dedication to building the next generation forms the foundation of a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Nigeria. “We celebrate you, and we thank you,” she said.
