By Ayo Ayodele
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no qualified student will be denied access to higher education because of financial hardship, saying reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration have removed financial barriers to tertiary 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.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, Alausa said the administration is committed to ensuring that every qualified Nigerian, irrespective of financial background, has access to quality tertiary education.
He said President Tinubu’s human capital development agenda has opened up educational opportunities for students from low-income families, stressing that poverty should no longer prevent Nigerians from pursuing higher education.
“Not having money or coming from an indigent family will no longer stop students from achieving their dreams. Education is no longer a barrier for qualified students in this country,” the minister said.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government has invested more than ₦1 trillion in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education over the past two years to improve infrastructure and learning conditions.
According to him, about ₦250 billion has been committed to the construction of new student hostels, while over ₦150 billion has been spent on rehabilitating existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic facilities.
He added that more than ₦130 billion has been invested in upgrading medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide. Another ₦52 billion, he said, has been approved for the procurement of modern equipment in 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion has gone into establishing 11 medical simulation laboratories to enhance practical clinical training.
The minister also revealed that almost ₦110 billion has been invested in constructing and rehabilitating engineering workshops and providing modern equipment for federal universities of technology, conventional universities offering engineering programmes and polytechnics.
Describing the interventions as among the largest investments in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, Alausa said they are aimed at strengthening teaching, research, innovation and institutional capacity while producing graduates with the skills needed to drive industrialisation and economic growth.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with tertiary institutions and other stakeholders to ensure the reforms translate into improved educational outcomes and expanded opportunities for Nigerian students.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education, Dr. Victoria Omua Amu, said the committee had developed a one-year implementation plan and established governance structures to promote advocacy, academic collaboration and manpower development.
She disclosed that six Nigerian universities currently offer Audiology programmes, five run Occupational Therapy programmes, while three offer Speech and Language Therapy. She added that the University of Benin will commence an Occupational Therapy programme in the 2026/2027 academic session.
Amu, however, identified delays in the release of TETFund support as a major challenge affecting the implementation of the committee’s programmes.