Longest Serving Education Minister Ends Eight-Year Tenure

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has ended his Eight-year tenure at a farewell ceremony held in his honour on Thursday.

Adamu is the longest-serving Minister of Education in the history of Nigeria’s 24 democratic rule.

The farewell ceremony took place at the Ministry of Education, on Thursday.

He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Adamu ends his tenure today alongside the Minister of State for Education, Honorable Goodluck Nana Opiah.

Opiah ends his tenure after spending less than a year in office.

He was appointed to the position by President Buhari in July 2022, after his predecessor Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, resigned his position after declaring his intention to run for President in the recently concluded 2023 Presidential elections.

Adamu’s long tenure will be remembered for positive as well as negative reasons.

It was during his tenure that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on its longest strike, which lasted 9 months. Other tertiary institutions also had strikes during his tenure, including the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

However, it was also under his tenure that the retirement age for teachers was increased to 65 years. He also oversaw the highest number of establishments of public and private universities.

Adamu received accolades and gifts from numerous directors in the Ministry and heads of education parastatals.

In attendance at the event were the Education Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, David Andrew Adejo; UBEC Executive Secretary, Hamid Boboyi; the JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede; NECO registrar, Ibrahim Wishishi, WAEC registrar, Patrick Areghan; and a host of others.