In a bold step toward bridging the gender gap in education and social empowerment, the Federal Ministry of Education has officially launched LUMINAH 2030, a nationwide campaign aimed at transforming the lives of over one million underserved girls and women in Nigeria by the year 2030.

The Ministry made the announcement on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, describing LUMINAH 2030 as a comprehensive national strategy to foster inclusive education, vocational training, and leadership development for those traditionally left out of Nigeria’s development narrative.

“The Federal Ministry of Education has launched LUMINAH 2030, an ambitious drive to transform the lives of over 1 million underserved girls & women by 2030. The initiative empowers through education, vocational skills & leadership training,” the Ministry posted.

A Strategic Push to Close the Gender Gap in Education

At the heart of LUMINAH 2030 lies a stark reality: 60% of Nigeria’s estimated 15 million out-of-school children are girls. This glaring statistic drives the urgency of the initiative, which seeks to eliminate educational exclusion and gender-based marginalisation.

By targeting out-of-school girls—especially in rural and underserved areas—LUMINAH 2030 aims to:

• Expand access to foundational literacy and numeracy education

• Provide market-relevant vocational training

• Foster female leadership and civic engagement

• Reduce the socioeconomic barriers that perpetuate the cycle of poverty among women

The programme is already underway in 12 pilot states, strategically selected using data-driven methods to ensure maximum impact in the most vulnerable communities.

LUMINAH 2030: More Than Just a Programme

Speaking about the initiative, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described LUMINAH 2030 as a national movement aimed at “dismantling exclusion, poverty, and silence.”

“LUMINAH 2030 is not just a policy framework—it’s a movement to empower girls and women who have long been left out of our national progress,” she stated.

She emphasized that interventions would go beyond school enrollment, addressing cultural, economic, and structural barriers that hinder female participation in education and leadership.

These include:

• Community sensitization campaigns to combat early marriage and gender discrimination

• Mentorship and leadership boot camps for young women

• Vocational skill acquisition programmes tailored to local economic needs

• Technology-enabled learning for girls in remote areas

National and Global Partnerships at Work

The LUMINAH 2030 initiative enjoys the backing of a broad coalition that includes:

• Federal and state governments

• Local and international development partners

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

• Private sector stakeholders

This multi-stakeholder approach reflects Nigeria’s growing recognition that tackling education inequality demands collaborative, well-funded, and scalable solutions.

Among the initiative’s early supporters are organizations involved in the broader Quality Education and Learning Outcomes (QELO) agenda, as well as UN agencies and donor agencies focused on gender equity and youth empowerment.

Evolution from the Lumina Programme to LUMINAH 2030

LUMINAH 2030 builds on the foundation of the Lumina Programme, which was first introduced in April 2025 to address the issue of 10 million out-of-school children across Nigeria.

The original Lumina Programme prioritized:

• Basic education interventions in underserved rural communities

• Digital registration portals for easier access and transparency

• Early literacy and numeracy education tailored specifically for girls

• Preparatory structures for long-term female empowerment

In March 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education officially expanded and rebranded the initiative into LUMINAH 2030, integrating it into the national education reform agenda under the Quality Education and Learning Outcomes project.

What You Should Know About LUMINAH 2030

• Goal: To impact 1 million+ girls and women by 2030 through education, skills training, and leadership development

• Current Stage: Active in 12 pilot states, with online registration open and full-scale implementation imminent

• Key Areas of Focus:

  • Literacy and numeracy education

  • Vocational and entrepreneurial training

  • Mentorship and civic leadership opportunities

  • Access to technology and digital tools

• Target Groups: Out-of-school girls, young women in underserved areas, female youth facing gender-based exclusion

Children and youth in rural, conflict-affected, and economically disadvantaged communities will receive priority attention, ensuring that the programme directly reaches those in greatest need.

A Long-Term Commitment to Inclusive Education

With millions of Nigerian girls currently excluded from formal education systems, LUMINAH 2030 represents a renewed federal commitment to create an environment where every girl can thrive—academically, economically, and socially.

The programme is set to become one of the largest gender-focused education initiatives in Nigeria’s history, positioning the country to meet global targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 and SDG 5)—which call for quality education and gender equality by 2030.

By combining policy reform, digital innovation, and grassroots mobilization, the Federal Ministry of Education hopes that LUMINAH 2030 will not only close the education gap but also foster a generation of confident, skilled, and empowered women leaders who can drive Nigeria’s future.

Final Thoughts

LUMINAH 2030 is more than a programme—it is a promise: a promise to the millions of Nigerian girls and women who have long been left out of the education system, and by extension, the nation’s development journey.

Through strategic investments, cross-sector collaboration, and a gender-sensitive lens, Nigeria is charting a new course toward inclusive, equitable education—one girl, one classroom, and one empowered future at a time.