Tinubu Removes Financial Barriers to Higher Education, Invests Over ₦1 Trillion in Universities, Polytechnics — Alausa By Beauty Akporodo Aroh
The Federal Government says it has committed more than ₦1 trillion over the past two years to transform Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, while introducing reforms aimed at ensuring that no qualified Nigerian is denied access to higher education because of financial hardship.
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 in Abuja.
According to the Minister, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is dismantling financial barriers that have historically prevented many talented Nigerians from pursuing university education, describing the reforms as a deliberate investment in the country’s human capital and future economic prosperity.
He said the administration’s education agenda is focused on expanding access to quality higher education while strengthening universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to produce graduates equipped with the knowledge and technical skills required to drive national development.
> “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has opened access to higher education so that coming from a poor or indigent family will no longer prevent any qualified Nigerian from achieving their dreams. Education should never be a barrier to opportunity,” Alausa stated.
The Minister praised the President’s commitment to youth development, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda has placed education at the centre of national transformation.
He revealed that the Federal Government has invested ₦250 billion in the construction of new student hostels across tertiary institutions to improve accommodation and create a more conducive learning environment.
Another ₦150 billion, he said, has been allocated for the rehabilitation of existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic infrastructure to enhance teaching, learning and research.
In the health education sector, Alausa disclosed that over ₦130 billion has been invested in rehabilitating medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide. He added that ₦52 billion has been earmarked for modern equipment in 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion has been committed to establishing 11 state-of-the-art medical simulation laboratories to strengthen practical clinical training.
The Minister also announced that almost ₦110 billion has been invested in engineering education through 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.
Describing the interventions as among the largest investments ever made in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, Alausa said the over ₦1 trillion expenditure covers new infrastructure, rehabilitation projects, procurement of modern equipment, expansion of specialised laboratories and workshops, and broader institutional capacity building.
He maintained that the investments would not only improve learning conditions but also reposition Nigerian tertiary institutions to produce globally competitive graduates capable of driving innovation, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
Earlier, Chairperson 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 achievements since its inauguration.
She said the committee has developed a one-year implementation roadmap, established governance structures, created specialised technical subcommittees and commenced stakeholder engagements with the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (MRTB), universities and professional bodies.
Dr. Amu disclosed that six Nigerian universities currently offer Audiology programmes, five offer Occupational Therapy, while three run Speech and Language Therapy programmes. She also noted that the University of Benin will commence Occupational Therapy training in the 2026/2027 academic session, although delays in the release of TETFund support remain a major implementation challenge.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment, Alausa assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Education would continue collaborating with tertiary institutions and stakeholders to ensure that ongoing reforms translate into improved educational outcomes, stronger institutions and expanded opportunities for students across the country.
He stressed that under the Tinubu administration, no qualified Nigerian should be denied access to higher education because of financial constraints.
