Education Central to Tinubu’s $1tn Economy Plan, Says Alausa

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has said education remains central to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of growing Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, insisting that ongoing reforms are aimed at producing a skilled workforce capable of driving economic growth and competing globally.

Alausa said the Federal Government was deliberately investing in human capital development, expanding access to quality education and strengthening tertiary institutions to position Nigeria as a leading supplier of skilled professionals to Africa and the wider global labour market.

Speaking during an interview at the weekend, the minister said the administration was transforming the country’s youthful population into an economic asset through targeted investments in education and skills development.

“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,” he said.

According to him, one of the major achievements of the current administration has been the expansion of admissions into health-related programmes to address the shortage of medical professionals.

He disclosed that annual enrolment into nursing schools has increased from about 20,000 before the current administration took office to nearly 50,000, while admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also risen significantly.

The minister expressed optimism that the reforms would substantially reduce the country’s shortage of healthcare professionals within a few years as more graduates join the workforce.

He attributed the progress to President Tinubu’s commitment to making education a key pillar 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,” Alausa noted.

On the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the minister assured Nigerians that the scheme was established on a sustainable financing model that would continue to support students well into the future.

He explained that the administration had deliberately designed its reforms to outlive the current government, noting that sustainability remained a guiding principle in policy implementation.

“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 President Tinubu with restoring industrial harmony across federal tertiary institutions through dialogue and mutual trust.

According to him, the administration adopted a transparent approach to negotiations with academic and non-academic unions, while ensuring that agreements reached were realistic and financially sustainable.

He noted that the President fulfilled his promise to pay 50 per cent of withheld salaries inherited from previous disputes shortly after assuming office, a move he said rebuilt confidence between government and university unions.

The minister added that the administration also approved a salary increase of almost 40 per cent for workers in tertiary institutions as part of efforts to improve staff welfare without undermining fiscal discipline.

He said the prevailing industrial peace was already translating into improved performance across Nigeria’s universities.

Citing the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Alausa said the number of Nigerian universities recognised globally had increased from 21 to 24, with public universities occupying the highest positions nationally for the first time in several years.

He described the development as evidence that the government’s education reforms were beginning to produce measurable results and strengthen the global standing of Nigerian universities.

The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to policies that would expand access to quality education, deepen human capital development and equip young Nigerians with the skills required in a rapidly evolving global economy.

He added that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, education would remain the foundation for sustainable economic growth and national development.