Nigeria has had a series of notable Ministers of Education, whose roles have significantly shaped the country’s education landscape. Every Nigerian Minister of Education, from independence to today, has carried the immense task of shaping policies that not only uplift millions of young Nigerians but also hold the promise of an educated, innovative future. Below is a detailed exploration of key figures who have served as Nigeria’s Ministers of Education, from past to present.
Aja Nwachukwu (1958-1965)
Aja Nwachukwu was Nigeria’s first Minister of Education after independence. His tenure focused on creating a system that unified the educational policies across regions and fostering free primary education initiatives. He laid foundational policies that encouraged unity through education.
Richard Akinjide (1965-1966)
Richard Akinjide was a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He served as the minister of education in the First Republic and the minister of justice in the Second Republic.
Wenike Briggs (1966-1971)
During his tenure in the late 1970s, Wenike Briggs advocated for improved access to secondary education. He also pushed for higher funding for universities to bridge the gap between Nigerian education and international standards.
Abudu Yesufu Eke (1971-1975)
He was a journalist, politician, television producer and academic who served as the federal commissioner of education from October 1971 to 1975.
Ahmadu Ali (1975-1978)
Born 1 March 1936, Ahmadu Adah Ali is a retired Nigerian military officer, a physician and a politician. Ali served as the Deputy Director of Army Medical Services and Chief Consulting Physician of the Military Hospital, Kaduna. In 1973, he became the first Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, a position he held until 1975 when he was appointed Minister of Education
Garrick Barilee Leton (1978-1979)
He was an Ogoni activist and he served as the minister of education from 1978 to 1979.
Elizabeth Ivase (1979 to 1982)
Mrs Elizabeth Iyase served as the minister of education in the second republic. She is a trailblazer whose outstanding performance created a desire in many girl children to take education seriously
Dr. S. I. Taiwo (1980s)
Dr. Taiwo’s efforts were primarily centred on vocational and technical education, with a significant focus on ensuring that Nigerian students were better prepared for both academic and technical careers.
Ihechukwu Mabuduike (December 1979-1981)
Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike served as a former minister of education during the accord government formed by Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and Shehu Shagari’s National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic (1979-1983). He also served as Nigeria’s Minister of Health under the regime of former head of state, General Sani Abacha in the 1990s.
Sylvester Ugo (1981-October 1983)
Dr. Sylvester Ugoh is a Harvard-trained economist who has served Nigeria as former Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Education. Ugoh was also the governor of Bank of Biafra, Biafran central bank
Sunday Afolabi (October 1983-December 1983)
Chief Sunday Afolabi was a Nigerian politician who served in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo as Minister of Internal Affairs from 1999 to 2003. He also served as Minister of Education in the cabinet of President Shehu Shagari from 1982 to 1983.
Yarima Ibrahim Abdullahi (1984-1985)
Born 1 October 1939, Yarima Ibrahim Abdullahi is a Nigerian administrator, banker and former minister for Housing, as well as Education and Works. He is a graduate of Manchester University, Britain. He has also served as the Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei.
Abdullah Ibrahim (1985)
Abdullahi Ibrahim was a Nigerian lawyer, politician and administrator. He served as Federal Minister of Justice and Minister of Education.
Jibril Aminu (1985-1989)
Aminu is a Nigerian professor of cardiology and politician. Aminu held office as Federal Minister of Education. He was also Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003 and served as the senator representing Adamawa Central senatorial district from 2003 to 2011.
Professor Babatunde Fafunwa (1990-1992)
One of Nigeria’s most renowned educationists, Professor Babatunde Fafunwa, played a critical role in the promotion of mother-tongue instruction in early education. His reforms were geared towards improving the quality of basic education and supporting teacher training initiatives.
Ben Nwabueze (January 1993-November 1993)
Ben Nwabueze was the first academic lawyer to be made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1978 strictly on the basis of his published works. He was one of Nigeria’s foremost constitutional lawyers and former Minister of Education
Iyorchia Ayu (1993-1995)
Iyorchia Ayu is a Nigerian politician and a former minister of education.
M T Liman (1995-1997)
Mohammed Tukur Liman was elected Senator for the Katsina South constituency of Katsina State, Nigeria at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, running on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He has also served as the Minister of Education.
Iyabo Anisulowo (February 1997-December 1997): Mrs. Iyabo is an educator and proponent of gender equality in Africa. She started as a classroom teacher and rose to the rank of an education minister
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.
Samuel Olaiya Oni (1998-1999)
Samuel Olaiya Oni was a Nigerian academic and politician who was the Minister of Education from August 1998 to June 1999 during the regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Tunde Adeniran (1999-2001)
He is a politician, diplomat, and a former Minister of Education in Nigeria. He was a former staff of United Nations and a retired political science lecturer at the University of Ibadan after many years of lecturing in Nigeria and America.
Professor Babalola Borishade (2001-2003)
During Borishade’s tenure, reforms focused on ensuring educational standards and institutional autonomy. His efforts laid the groundwork for policies that improved teacher education and enhanced secondary education systems.
Hajia Bintu Musa (July 2003 – June 2005)
Hajia Bintu served as the minister of state for education. During her tenure, she worked on the federal government’s commitment to proper funding of education in the country. She was replaced by Fabian Osuji
Fabian Osuji (2003-2005)
Fabian Ngozichukwu Chinedum Osuji was a Nigerian politician who was the Federal Minister of Education in Nigeria from July 2003 until March 2005.
Chinwe Obaji (2005-2006)
Chinwe Obaji is a higher education lecturer, teacher and education administrator who was appointed to head Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education in June 2005 as Senior Minister, and was succeeded a year later by Obiageli Ezekwesili.
Dr. Grace Ogwuche (2006):
She served briefly as the minister of state for education. Ogwuche was the second female minister from Benue State after Elizabeth Ivase and the first from Idoma land. She also served in other capacities in the Federal government such as Ministry of Inter-Governmental Affairs, Youth Development and Special Duties, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources as well as Education
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili (2006-2007)
Widely recognised for her role in improving transparency in governance, Dr. Ezekwesili brought this same passion for reform to the education sector. She introduced the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model into education, focusing on infrastructural development and enhanced teacher training programmes. Her reforms continue to influence Nigerian educational policies today.
Aishatu Jibril Dukku (2007-2010)
Aishatu Jibril Dukku is an educationist born on 18 December 1963. She started her journey as a classroom teacher in 1987. Her journey to leadership in the education system started when she became the former Principal of Federal Government Girl’s College, Bajoga, Gombe State. She attained many other leadership positions in the education sector before she became the Federal Minister of State for Education during the presidency of the late Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua.
Igwe Aja Nwachukwu (2007-2008)
Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu was a Nigerian politician. He ended his term as education minister of Nigeria on 17 December 2008.
Sam Egwu (2008-2010)
Dr Egwu is noted as pillar of educational development in Ebonyi state and Nigeria. He was a senior lecturer at Enugu State University of Technology and served as commissioner for education in Ebonyi state. He later served as the Minister of Education between 2008 and 2010.
Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa’i (2010-2013)
Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i served as Nigeria’s Minister of Education from 2010 to 2014 under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. She attended Bayero University Kano where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree. Due to her love for education, she got a PhD in Education from West Virginia University, US.
Nyesom Wike (2013-2014) – supervising
Wike is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who has served as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory since 2023.He previously served as the governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023 and also briefly served as the Acting Minister of Education in Nigeria.
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (2014-2015)
Ibrahim Shekarau’s brief tenure saw him advocating for a more inclusive and equitable educational system. His policies included the expansion of higher education opportunities and a more strategic approach to curriculum reforms.
Adamu Adamu (2015-2023)
Adamu Adamu had one of the longest tenures as the Minister of Education in Nigeria. His administration witnessed several significant reforms, including the reduction of out-of-school children, the reintroduction of history in the school curriculum, and the implementation of the National Teachers Institute reforms. Under his leadership, efforts were made to improve teacher welfare and increase access to quality education.
Prof. 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.
Dr. Morufu Olatunji
Morufu Olatunji is a Nigerian politician, medical doctor, and public servant. He was appointed as the Minister of Education on October 24, 2024 replacing Prof. Tahir Mamman
Dr Suwaiba Said
Alongside the recent appointment of Dr. Morufu Olatunji as the new Minister of Education, Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad also took over the role of the former minister of state for education. Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad is a distinguished Nigerian educationist, gender advocate, and consultant with over 17 years of experience in the education sector. She is currently a lecturer at Bayero University Kano.
