The minister further revealed that the government has committed more than ₦130 billion to the rehabilitation and expansion of medical schools across the country to strengthen training capacity for healthcare professionals.
In addition, he said ₦52 billion has been approved for the procurement of modern equipment for 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion has been invested in establishing 11 advanced medical simulation laboratories to improve practical clinical training.
To strengthen engineering education, Alausa stated that almost ₦110 billion has been channelled into 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.
Describing the interventions as some of the most significant investments ever made in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, the minister said they encompass infrastructure development, facility upgrades, acquisition of modern teaching equipment, expansion of specialised laboratories and workshops, and institutional capacity building.
He expressed confidence that the investments would enhance teaching, learning and research while producing graduates equipped with the practical skills and technical expertise required to drive innovation and economic development.
Alausa reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with tertiary institutions and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the ongoing reforms translate into improved educational standards and greater opportunities for students nationwide.
Earlier, the Chairman 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 disclosed that 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.
According to Amu, six Nigerian universities currently offer Audiology programmes, while five run Occupational Therapy programmes and three offer Speech and Language Therapy courses. She added that the University of Benin is expected to commence an Occupational Therapy programme in the 2026/2027 academic session.
She, however, identified delays in accessing support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as a major challenge affecting implementation of the committee’s plans.
The Federal Government has continued to place expansion of access to higher education at the centre of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, introducing initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to provide interest-free loans for eligible students, while increasing investment in infrastructure through TETFund to improve teaching, research and innovation across tertiary institutions.
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