—To boost manpower in Health sector

By Son Tertsegha, Abuja

As part of efforts to address Nigeria’s inadequate healthcare professionals and improve the country’s health sector workforce, the Federal Government has increased annual admissions into nursing schools from about 20,000 to 50,000 students.The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has said.

Alausa disclosed this during an interview with journalists on Sunday, saying the expansion of nursing admissions formed part of broader education reforms aimed at producing the skilled workforce required to drive President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1tn economy by 2030.

The minister said the government was deliberately investing in human capital development by expanding access to professional education in critical sectors.

“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 explained that the Federal Government had aggressively expanded admissions into health-related programmes to bridge long-standing shortages of healthcare workers.

According to him, annual enrolment into nursing schools has risen from about 20,000 students before the current administration assumed office now taking it to approximately 50,000 students. He added that admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also been significantly increased.

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

Alausa attributed the expansion to President Tinubu’s commitment to education and human capital development, describing education as the foundation for sustainable economic growth.

The minister also reiterated that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund was designed to remain financially sustainable beyond the current administration.

“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.

He further said the administration had restored industrial harmony in tertiary institutions through dialogue with academic and non-academic staff unions, noting that improved stability was contributing to better outcomes in the higher education sector.

Nigeria has faced a persistent shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals, due largely to years of underinvestment in training and the increasing migration of health workers to countries offering better remuneration and working conditions. The trend has placed additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system, particularly at the primary and secondary healthcare levels.

To reverse the shortage is why the Federal Government has expanded admissions into nursing and other health-related programmes while also investing in Technical and Vocational Education and Training and other human capital development initiatives