From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has declared that education remains central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion Nigerian economy by 2030.
Alausa said the Federal Government’s sustained investment in human capital development, skills acquisition and reforms in tertiary education was laying the foundation for a globally competitive workforce capable of driving Nigeria’s economic transformation.
The minister, who spoke during an interview at the weekend, said the government was deliberately repositioning the education sector to produce highly skilled Nigerians who could meet domestic manpower needs while also competing favourably in Africa and the international labour market.
He noted that Nigeria’s youthful population could be transformed into a demographic dividend through expanded access to quality education and skills that would enable young people to thrive in the global economy.
“We want to be the manpower supplier of the world. To achieve this, we must produce competent, skilled and educated young Nigerians who will drive our economy, contribute to Africa’s growth and compete successfully across the world,” he said.
Alausa identified the expansion of enrolment in health-related programmes as one of the administration’s major interventions aimed at addressing the shortage of critical professionals in the country.
He disclosed that annual enrolment in nursing schools had risen from about 20,000 students before the present administration assumed office to approximately 50,000.
He added that admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry had also been significantly expanded.
The minister expressed confidence that the reforms would help eliminate the shortage of healthcare professionals within the next few years as thousands of newly trained graduates enter the workforce.
He attributed the development to President Tinubu’s commitment to education, describing the sector as the bedrock of Nigeria’s economic transformation and a strategic pillar of the administration’s development agenda.
“As the President advances his vision of building a one trillion-dollar economy, education will remain at the centre of that transformation,” Alausa said.
On student financing, the minister said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had been deliberately structured on a sustainable model capable of supporting generations of Nigerian students.
He said the President had consistently directed ministers and heads of government institutions to ensure that major reforms introduced by the administration were sustainable and capable of outliving the current government.
“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.
Alausa also credited the President’s leadership style, which he described as being anchored on dialogue, trust and mutual respect, for restoring industrial harmony in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He said the Federal Government had approached negotiations with academic and non-academic staff unions with sincerity and openness while ensuring that agreements reached were realistic, affordable and implementable.
According to him, President Tinubu fulfilled his commitment to pay 50 per cent of withheld salaries inherited from previous disputes within months of assuming office, describing the move as a demonstration of credibility that helped rebuild trust between government and university unions.
He added that the administration had 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 responsibility.
The minister said the renewed industrial peace was already producing measurable improvements in the higher education sector.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to implementing reforms aimed at expanding access to quality education, strengthening human capital development and preparing Nigerian youths to compete successfully in a rapidly changing global economy.
He stressed that education would remain a foundation of sustainable economic growth, national development and shared prosperity under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Alausa further assured Nigerians that the ministry would continue to pursue policies and programmes designed to unlock the potential of the country’s greatest asset which is its people.
(The Sun)