Jane Salihu
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, says President Bola Tinubu’s education agenda is focused on producing a highly skilled workforce capable of driving Nigeria’s economic growth and competing in the global labour market.
Alausa stated this during an interview at the weekend, where he explained that the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the education sector are designed to equip young Nigerians with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to support the administration’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the Minister said the government is repositioning the education sector to transform Nigeria’s large youth population into a productive workforce that can meet local manpower needs while supplying skilled professionals across Africa and the rest of the world.
“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 identified the expansion of admissions into health-related programmes as one of the administration’s key interventions, noting that annual enrolment into nursing schools has increased from about 20,000 before the current administration assumed office to approximately 50,000.
He added that admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also been significantly expanded to address the country’s shortage of healthcare professionals.
Alausa expressed confidence that the reforms would produce thousands of qualified graduates over the next few years, helping to bridge the manpower gap in the health sector.
He described education as the foundation of Nigeria’s economic transformation, saying President Tinubu remains committed to investing in human capital development as a strategic driver of national prosperity.
The Minister also assured Nigerians that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was established on a sustainable financing model that would continue to benefit students beyond the lifespan of the current administration.
He explained that President Tinubu had consistently directed ministers and heads of government agencies to ensure that reforms introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda are designed to endure and deliver lasting impact.
“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 relations, Alausa credited President Tinubu’s leadership for restoring stability across tertiary institutions through dialogue, trust and realistic agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions.
He noted that the administration fulfilled its promise to pay 50 per cent of withheld salaries inherited from previous disputes shortly after assuming office, while also approving a salary increase of nearly 40 per cent for workers in tertiary institutions.
According to the Minister, the prevailing industrial peace has contributed to improved academic performance and international recognition for Nigerian universities.
He pointed out that the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings showed an increase in the number of Nigerian universities recognised globally from 21 to 24, with public universities reclaiming the top positions nationally.
Alausa reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to implementing policies that expand access to quality education, strengthen human capital development and prepare Nigerian youths to excel in an increasingly competitive global economy.
He maintained that education would remain a critical pillar of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a key driver of sustainable economic growth and national development.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings