The Federal Government says it has invested more than ₦1 trillion in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector over the past two years as part of efforts to improve access to higher education and upgrade learning facilities across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while addressing members of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education.
According to the minister, the unprecedented investment reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that financial challenges no longer prevent qualified Nigerians from pursuing higher education.
Alausa said the administration’s education agenda is focused on strengthening universities, polytechnics and colleges of education while equipping students with the skills required to support national development and economic growth.
As part of the investment, the Federal Government has allocated ₦250 billion for the construction of new student hostels across tertiary institutions to improve accommodation and enhance students’ learning environment.
He added that another ₦150 billion is being used to renovate existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic infrastructure across higher institutions.
The minister also highlighted major investments in medical education, revealing that more than ₦130 billion has been committed to upgrading medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide.
In addition, ₦52 billion has been earmarked for the procurement of modern equipment for 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion is funding the establishment of 11 advanced medical simulation laboratories to strengthen practical clinical training.
To improve engineering education, Alausa said the government has invested close to ₦110 billion in constructing and rehabilitating engineering workshops as well as providing modern equipment for federal universities of technology, conventional universities offering engineering programmes and polytechnics.
He described the intervention as one of the largest investments in Nigeria’s higher education system, noting that the funding covers infrastructure development, rehabilitation of facilities, acquisition of modern equipment, expansion of specialised laboratories and institutional capacity building.
According to the minister, the goal is not only to improve physical infrastructure but also to produce graduates with the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to drive innovation, industrialisation and long-term economic development.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chairperson of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education, Dr. Victoria Omua Amu, said the committee has developed a one-year implementation plan to expand specialised healthcare education in Nigeria.
She noted 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 is expected to begin its Occupational Therapy programme in the 2026/2027 academic session.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every qualified Nigerian has access to quality higher education, regardless of financial background, while promising continued support for tertiary institutions to improve teaching, research and innovation
FG Pumps Over ₦1 Trillion into Tertiary Education in Two Years, Says Education Minister
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