The federal government has invested over N1 trillion in the transformation of tertiary education over the past two years, with funds channelled into universities, student hostels, medical schools, engineering facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a meeting with members of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education.
According to a press statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the investments form part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to removing financial barriers that have prevented many qualified Nigerians from accessing higher education.
Alausa said the administration’s reforms are designed to ensure that every qualified Nigerian, irrespective of economic background, has access to quality tertiary education, while strengthening universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to produce the skilled workforce required for national development.
He said President Tinubu had demonstrated a strong commitment to human capital development through sustained investments that are expanding educational opportunities and improving the quality of tertiary education across the country.
“The President has opened up access to students so that not having money, or coming from an indigent family, will no longer prevent anyone from achieving their educational aspirations. Education is no longer a barrier for students in this country,” the minister said.
He noted that the reforms as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future, adding that the administration was creating opportunities for young Nigerians to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Giving a breakdown of the investments, Alausa said the federal government had committed N250 billion to the construction of new student hostels across tertiary institutions to improve accommodation and provide a more conducive learning environment.
He added that over N150 billion had been invested in the rehabilitation of existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic facilities to strengthen teaching, learning and research.
The minister also revealed that more than N130 billion had been invested in rehabilitating medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide.
In addition, he said N52 billion had been allocated for modern equipment in 18 medical schools, while nearly N30 billion had been invested in establishing 11 medical simulation laboratories to enhance practical clinical training and produce globally competitive healthcare professionals.
To strengthen engineering education, Alausa disclosed that almost N110 billion had also been invested in the construction and rehabilitation of engineering workshops and the provision of modern equipment for Federal Universities of Technology, conventional universities offering engineering programmes and polytechnics.
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