The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, has declared that education remains the cornerstone of President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to grow Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Speaking to newsmen at the weekend, Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government was investing in human capital development to produce a globally competitive workforce capable of driving economic transformation.
The minister noted that the administration’s reforms were deliberately repositioning the education sector to meet domestic manpower needs, while making Nigeria a leading exporter of skilled professionals to Africa and the global labour market.
According to him, the government was leveraging the country’s youthful population as a strategic asset through expanded access to quality education and skills development.
He said: “As the President advances his vision of building a one trillion-dollar economy, education will remain at the centre of that transformation.
“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.”
The minister said one of the administration’s key interventions has been the aggressive expansion of admissions into health-related programmes to address the country’s shortage of critical healthcare professionals.
He disclosed that annual enrolment into nursing schools has risen from about 20,000 students before the current administration assumed office to approximately 50,000, while admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also been significantly increased.
Expressing confidence in the reforms, Alausa said the expanded enrolment would soon bridge the manpower gap in the health sector.
“Within the next few years, these reforms will eliminate the shortage of healthcare professionals as thousands of newly trained graduates enter the workforce.”
On the sustainability of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the minister said the scheme was intentionally designed to outlive the present administration.
According to him, President Tinubu had consistently directed ministers and heads of agencies to ensure that every major reform introduced by the government remains sustainable.
“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.”
The minister also attributed the prevailing industrial peace in public tertiary institutions to President Tinubu’s leadership, saying dialogue and mutual trust had replaced prolonged confrontations between government and university unions.
He noted that the President fulfilled his promise to pay 50 per cent of the withheld salaries inherited from previous administrations within months of assuming office, describing the move as one that restored confidence between government and academic unions.
“The administration approached negotiations with sincerity and openness while ensuring that every agreement reached remained realistic, affordable and implementable.”
Alausa further recalled that the Federal Government approved a nearly 40 per cent salary increase for workers in tertiary institutions as part of efforts to improve staff welfare without undermining fiscal sustainability.
He said the impact of the reforms was already evident in the performance of Nigerian universities on the global stage.
According to him, the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings showed that the number of Nigerian universities recognised globally had increased from 21 to 24, with public universities reclaiming the top positions nationally.
Describing the development as evidence that the reforms were yielding results, the minister said improved institutional stability was enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities.
He reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to expanding access to quality education, strengthening human capital development and equipping Nigerian youths with the skills required to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, education will remain the foundation for sustainable economic growth, national development and shared prosperity. We will continue to pursue reforms that unlock the full potential of our greatest asset our people,” Alausa added.