FG ASSURES NO QUALIFIED NIGERIAN WILL BE DENIED HIGHER EDUCATION DUE TO POVERTY
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
The Federal Government has reiterated that no qualified Nigerian will be denied access to higher education because of financial hardship, citing President Bola Tinubu’s education reforms and over ₦1 trillion invested in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, Alausa said the administration remains committed to ensuring that every qualified Nigerian, regardless of financial background, can pursue quality tertiary education.
According to the minister, the Tinubu administration has introduced policies aimed at removing financial barriers that previously prevented many students from accessing higher education.
He said the reforms are designed to ensure that poverty no longer limits educational opportunities for Nigerian youths, enabling them to achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Alausa also commended President Tinubu for prioritising youth development through initiatives that expand access to education and create opportunities for academic and professional growth.
Highlighting the administration’s investment in tertiary education, the minister disclosed that more than ₦1 trillion has been committed to improving infrastructure and learning facilities over the past two years.
He said ₦250 billion has been earmarked for the construction of new student hostels, while over ₦150 billion has been spent on rehabilitating existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic facilities.
According to him, the government has also invested more than ₦130 billion in upgrading medical schools and expanding their training capacity, with an additional ₦52 billion approved for modern equipment in 18 medical schools.
He further revealed that nearly ₦30 billion has been invested in establishing 11 state-of-the-art medical simulation laboratories to strengthen practical clinical training nationwide.
To enhance engineering education, Alausa said almost ₦110 billion has been allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of engineering workshops, as well as the procurement of modern equipment for federal universities of technology, conventional universities offering engineering programmes and polytechnics.
Describing the interventions as among the largest investments ever made in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, the minister said they would strengthen infrastructure, improve teaching and research, and equip graduates with the skills needed to drive innovation, industrialisation and economic growth.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with tertiary institutions and relevant stakeholders to ensure the reforms translate into better educational outcomes and expanded opportunities for students.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education, Dr. Victoria Omua Amu, briefed the minister on the committee’s progress.
She said the committee has developed a one-year implementation plan, established a governance framework and created specialised subcommittees to promote advocacy, academic collaboration and manpower development.
Amu disclosed that six Nigerian universities currently offer Audiology programmes, five offer Occupational Therapy programmes and three offer Speech and Language Therapy programmes. She added that the University of Benin is expected to begin offering Occupational Therapy in the 2026/2027 academic session.
She, however, identified delays in the release of TETFund support as a major challenge affecting the implementation of the committee’s programmes.
The Federal Government has made expanding access to tertiary education a key pillar of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, introducing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to provide interest-free student loans while increasing investment in tertiary education infrastructure through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
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