The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that no qualified Nigerian is prevented from pursuing higher education because of financial constraints, stating that recent education reforms have significantly expanded access to tertiary institutions.
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 on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has implemented policies aimed at removing financial obstacles that have historically limited access to higher education, while committing more than ₦1 trillion to improve infrastructure and learning facilities across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa said the government’s interventions are designed to ensure that students from low-income families are not denied opportunities to achieve their educational goals.
He noted that the administration’s focus on human capital development reflects President Tinubu’s determination to empower young Nigerians with the education and skills needed to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The minister explained that substantial investments have already been made across the tertiary education sector. According to him, ₦250 billion has been allocated for the construction of new student hostels, while over ₦150 billion has gone into renovating existing hostels, lecture halls, engineering workshops and other academic infrastructure.
He further disclosed that more than ₦130 billion has been invested in upgrading medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide. An additional ₦52 billion has been approved for modern equipment in 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion has been committed to establishing 11 advanced medical simulation laboratories to improve clinical training.
To strengthen engineering education, Alausa said the Federal Government has also invested almost ₦110 billion in the construction and rehabilitation of engineering workshops, alongside the provision of modern equipment for federal universities of technology, conventional universities offering engineering programmes and polytechnics.
He described the interventions as some of the largest investments ever made in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, covering infrastructure development, facility rehabilitation, specialised laboratories, workshops and institutional capacity building.
According to the minister, the investments are expected to produce graduates with stronger technical knowledge, practical skills and innovative capabilities required to drive industrialisation and economic growth.
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He also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with tertiary institutions and relevant stakeholders to ensure the reforms deliver improved educational outcomes and broaden opportunities for Nigerian students.
During the meeting, 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 progress.
She said the committee has developed a one-year implementation plan, established a governance framework and created specialised subcommittees to promote advocacy, academic partnerships and manpower development.
Amu revealed that six Nigerian universities currently offer Audiology programmes, five run Occupational Therapy programmes, while three offer Speech and Language Therapy programmes. She added that the University of Benin is expected to begin an Occupational Therapy programme in the 2026/2027 academic session.
However, she identified delays in the release of TETFund support as a key challenge affecting the implementation of the committee’s plans.
The Federal Government has continued to prioritise improved access to tertiary education under the Renewed Hope Agenda through initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which provides interest-free loans to eligible students, alongside increased investment in tertiary education infrastructure nationwide.