By Our Reporter
Nigeria and Italy have agreed to establish a Working Group to implement the proposed Global Partnership for Education financing campaign aimed at mobilising five billion dollars for education globally.
The development was contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
The initiative, tagged the “Multiply Possibility Campaign,” is designed to transform learning opportunities for about 750 million children and will climax at the Global Education Summit scheduled to hold in Rome, Italy, in September 2026.
According to officials, the campaign is also expected to unlock an additional 10 billion dollars in domestic education financing by 2030.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this while receiving the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu told the envoy that education remains one of the major priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She noted that the summit had become necessary because of Nigeria’s large youth population and the urgent need to invest in human capital development.
According to the minister, the partnership between both countries would help equip young people with relevant skills, create employment opportunities, and address migration challenges.
She advocated constructive dialogue in handling migration issues and assured that Nigeria and Italy would continue to strengthen bilateral relations.
“We are interested in what we can do to keep our youth within our shores in productive ways,” she said, adding that Nigeria was also exploring green investments, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Earlier, Mengoni said the meeting was important for both countries as co-chairs of the Global Partnership for Education to agree on arrangements for the forthcoming summit.
He added that discussions during the meeting also covered cooperation in tourism, economic development, defence, and educational advancement.
