The Federal Government has raised the annual admission capacity of nursing schools across the country from about 20,000 to 50,000 students in a move aimed at tackling the shortage of healthcare professionals and strengthening Nigeria’s health workforce.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the development during an interview with journalists on Sunday, describing it as part of a broader education reform agenda designed to produce the skilled workforce needed to support President Bola Tinubu’s goal of building a $1tn economy by 2030.
According to the minister, the administration is prioritising human capital development by expanding access to professional education in sectors considered vital to national growth.
“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,” Alausa said.
He noted that the government had significantly increased admission spaces in health-related programmes to address the country’s long-standing shortage of healthcare workers.
He explained that annual nursing school enrolment had grown from around 20,000 before the current administration took office to about 50,000, while admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry had also recorded substantial increases.
Alausa expressed optimism that the reforms would help ease the shortage of healthcare professionals over the coming years as more graduates complete their training and enter the workforce.
“As the President advances his vision of building a one trillion-dollar economy, education will remain at the centre of that transformation,” he said.
The minister credited the expansion to President Tinubu’s commitment to education and human capital development, stressing that the administration views education as a key driver of sustainable economic progress.
He also reaffirmed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was structured to remain viable beyond the lifespan of the present administration.
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“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 further stated that the government had improved industrial relations within tertiary institutions through sustained engagement with academic and non-academic staff unions.
He added that the resulting stability was helping to improve performance across the higher education sector.
Nigeria has struggled for years with an inadequate supply of nurses and other healthcare professionals, a challenge fuelled by limited investment in training and the continued migration of skilled health workers to countries offering better salaries and working conditions.
The trend has placed increased pressure on healthcare delivery, particularly at the primary and secondary levels.
To address the gap, the Federal Government has expanded admissions into nursing and other health-related programmes while increasing investments in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and other human capital development initiatives.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the “Japa” trend, which has seen thousands of Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses relocate abroad in recent years, leaving significant workforce shortages at home.
The government maintains that expanding training capacity is essential to meeting domestic healthcare demands while positioning Nigeria as a source of skilled professionals for the global labour market.
:::writing