The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed that education will remain the cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion Nigerian economy, saying sustained investments in human capital development, skills acquisition and tertiary education reforms are laying the foundation for long term national prosperity.
Speaking during an interview with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Alausa said the Federal Government is repositioning the education sector to produce a globally competitive workforce capable of meeting Nigeria’s development needs while supplying skilled professionals to Africa and the international labour market.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the minister said the government is transforming Nigeria’s youthful population into a demographic dividend by expanding access to quality education and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to compete globally.
“We want to be the manpower supplier of the world. We need to produce competent, skilled and educated young Nigerians who will drive our economy, contribute to Africa’s growth and compete successfully across the world,” Alausa said.
The minister said one of the administration’s major interventions has been the expansion of admissions into health related programmes to address shortages of critical professionals.
According to him, annual enrolment into nursing schools has increased from about 20,000 before the current administration took office to approximately 50,000, while admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also been significantly expanded.
He expressed confidence that the reforms would eliminate shortages of healthcare professionals within the next few years as thousands of newly trained graduates enter the workforce.
Alausa attributed the progress to President Tinubu’s commitment to education, describing it as the bedrock of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
“As the President advances his vision of building a one trillion dollar economy, education will remain at the centre of that transformation,” he said.
The minister also assured Nigerians that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was designed with a sustainable financing model capable of supporting generations of students.
He explained that President Tinubu had directed ministers and heads of government agencies to ensure that reforms introduced by the administration are built to outlive its tenure.
“There is no value in introducing policies that cannot stand the test of time. Sustainability is central to this administration’s philosophy, and that principle guided the design of NELFUND,” he said.
On industrial harmony in tertiary institutions, Alausa credited President Tinubu’s leadership style, anchored on dialogue, trust and mutual respect, for restoring confidence between the Federal Government and academic and non academic staff unions.
He said the administration had approached negotiations with sincerity while ensuring that agreements reached were realistic, affordable and implementable.
According to the minister, President Tinubu fulfilled his promise to pay 50 per cent of the withheld salaries inherited from previous disputes shortly after assuming office, a move he said rebuilt trust between the government and university unions.
He added that the administration also approved a salary increase of nearly 40 per cent for workers in tertiary institutions as part of efforts to improve staff welfare while maintaining fiscal discipline.
Alausa said the prevailing industrial peace is already yielding positive results, pointing to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which showed that the number of Nigerian universities recognised globally increased from 21 to 24, with public universities reclaiming the top positions nationally.
He described the development as evidence that the Federal Government’s education reforms are producing measurable outcomes and enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to implementing policies that expand access to quality education, strengthen human capital development and equip Nigerian youths with skills for a rapidly changing global economy.
He stressed that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, education would remain the foundation for sustainable economic growth, national development and shared prosperity.
