The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed that education will remain the cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion Nigerian economy by 2030, saying ongoing reforms in the sector are laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth and a globally competitive workforce.

Speaking during an interview at the weekend, Alausa said the Federal Government was deliberately repositioning the education sector to produce highly skilled graduates capable of meeting Nigeria’s development needs while also supplying quality manpower to Africa and the global labour market.

According to the minister, the administration is transforming Nigeria’s youthful population into a demographic advantage by expanding access to quality education and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in an increasingly dynamic global economy.

“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.

Alausa disclosed that one of the administration’s major achievements has been the expansion of admissions into health-related programmes to address the shortage of healthcare professionals across the country.

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

The minister expressed confidence that the reforms would eliminate the shortage of healthcare professionals within the next few years as thousands of newly trained graduates join the workforce.

He attributed the progress to President Tinubu’s commitment to education, describing it as a strategic pillar of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.

“As the President advances his vision of building a one trillion-dollar economy, education will remain at the centre of that transformation,” Alausa stated.

On student financing, the minister said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was deliberately designed on a sustainable financing model that would continue to support future generations of students.

He explained that President Tinubu had consistently directed ministers and heads of government agencies to ensure that every major reform introduced by the administration is built to outlive the present government.

“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.

Speaking on industrial relations in tertiary institutions, Alausa credited President Tinubu’s leadership style, which he said is anchored on dialogue, trust and mutual respect, for restoring stability across universities and other higher institutions.

According to him, the administration negotiated with academic and non-academic unions in good faith while ensuring that agreements reached remained realistic, affordable and implementable.

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

The minister also recalled that the administration approved a salary increase of nearly 40 per cent for workers in tertiary institutions as part of efforts to improve staff welfare while maintaining fiscal discipline.

Alausa said the atmosphere of industrial peace has already begun yielding positive results, pointing to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which showed that the number of Nigerian universities listed globally increased from 21 to 24, with public universities reclaiming the top national rankings for the first time in many years.

He described the development as evidence that the Federal Government’s sustained investments in education and institutional stability are improving the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s universities.

The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to implementing policies that expand access to quality education, strengthen human capital development and prepare Nigerian youths to compete successfully in the global economy.

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