Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has safeguarded a series of significant reforms introduced by the Federal government, explaining them as part of a broad nationwide effort to reposition education as the structure of financial transformation, skills advancement and national competitiveness.
Speaking during a televised one-on-one interview kept an eye on by Edugist, the Minister resolved a vast array of issues including the elimination of UTME requirements for some tertiary programmes, the future of instructor education, out-of-school children, technical and employment training, facilities funding, trainee migration, and government investments in research study and innovation.
The interview comes amid growing nationwide discussions around access to higher education, the quality of learning, teacher lacks, youth joblessness and the future instructions of Nigeria’s education system.
According to the Minister, many of the recent reforms are driven by information and targeted at expanding access while lining up education more carefully with nationwide financial priorities.
Education is at the centerpiece of national development,” he stated. “We are using education as the bedrock of constructing the next labour pool that will serve this nation.
UTME Exemption for Colleges of Education and Some Agricultural Programmes
One of the most significant statements from the interview was the Federal government’s choice to exempt prospects looking for admission into Colleges of Education from sitting for the Unified Tertiary Admission Examination (UTME).
The exemption likewise uses to candidates pursuing non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related programs in polytechnics and monotechnics.
The Minister described that the move was not merely because of decreasing enrolment however part of a wider effort to get rid of barriers preventing young Nigerians from accessing tertiary education.
He mentioned government information showing low interest in Colleges of Education and some polytechnic programs.
According to him:
- Nigeria presently has about 255 Colleges of Education.
- About 214 of them reportedly recorded fewer than 100 first-choice applicants.
- The nation likewise has more than 770 polytechnics and monotechnics.
- Hundreds supposedly received less than 100 first-choice applications.
The Minister argued that preserving limiting admission structures in the face of such truths might get worse youth exemption and deepen the country’s instructional challenges.
“We have these schools, we have this infrastructure, but these youths do not wish to go there,” he stated.
Federal Colleges of Education Now Operating “Double Mandate”
The Minister also highlighted what he referred to as one of the most transformative reforms in teacher education in recent years– the introduction of the “dual mandate” system for Federal Colleges of Education.
Under the plan:
- Students admitted into Colleges of Education can earn an NCE certification after 3 years.
- Those who satisfy the needed O’Level conditions can continue for an additional two years.
- At the end of 5 years, they finish with both an NCE and a Bachelor of Education degree.
The Minister revealed that the reform started in federal institutions in 2015 and has actually already added to a significant boost in enrolment.
He stated lots of state federal governments are likewise amending their laws to embrace the model.
According to him, the goal is not just to enhance gain access to however also to produce a more powerful pool of extremely qualified instructors.
AI, Engineering and Computer Science Presented into Teacher Training
As part of broader curriculum reforms, the Minister exposed that Colleges of Education will now use programs such as:
- Artificial Intelligence and Education
- Computer Science and Education
- Engineering and Education
The programs are expected to commence fully from the 2026 academic session.
The federal government states the relocation is focused on modernising instructor preparation and making sure graduates are equipped for both mentor and wider career opportunities.
“We are broadening chances while training extremely qualified teachers,” the Minister said.
Admission Guidelines Relaxed to Broaden Access
The Minister likewise defended earlier reforms to O’Level admission requirements.
According to him, the Federal Government examined some long-standing entry limitations that had prevented certified trainees from gaining admission into tertiary organizations.
He cited examples where prospects looking for admission into Law or Arts programs were formerly required to possess credits in Mathematics, while science prospects were needed to have English credits despite course-specific truths.
Following adjustments to those requirements, the Minister said admissions increased substantially.
According to figures he shared:
- Nigeria historically confessed about 770,000 prospects annual from over 2 million UTME applicants.
- After the reforms, admissions apparently increased to about 1.1 million.
- The latest UTME exemptions might press admission numbers even greater.
The Minister argued that the nation should focus on broadening access while keeping quality assurance systems.
University Admission Age Still 16
Addressing controversies around admission age, the Minister clarified that the main university admission age stays 16 years.
However, he specified that incredibly gifted students listed below the age limit might still be thought about under more stringent evaluation procedures.
According to him, previous loopholes had been abused by some parents.
He revealed that out of approximately 48,000 minor prospects reportedly provided as talented trainees, only 87 eventually passed the required screening process.
“We Are Not About Policy Summersaults”
Responding to concerns about frequent policy modifications in the education sector, the Minister rejected tips that the government was developing confusion.
Rather, he explained the administration’s method as implementation-focused.
“We are not about creating new policies. We are executing policies,” he stated.
He included that many of the recent choices were based on data analysis instead of abstract policymaking.
Huge Push for Technical and Vocational Education
The interview likewise featured comprehensive discussion around Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which the Minister described as a major pillar of the federal government’s education strategy.
According to him:
- Federal technical colleges are now tuition-free.
- Trainees get stipends.
- The Federal government has embraced one technical college in each state and the FCT.
- About 160,000 Nigerians are supposedly currently going through training throughout roughly 1,200 centres.
The Minister said over 1.3 million Nigerians requested the program.
He included that the federal government has dedicated substantial financing to support professional education and skills development.
The administration’s broader objective, he discussed, is to produce entrepreneurs and proficient workers rather than graduates dependent entirely on white-collar employment.
Entrepreneurship and Development Programmes Introduced
The Minister likewise revealed the rollout of entrepreneurship, development and business incubation initiatives across tertiary organizations.
Starting with an initial cohort of universities, the program is anticipated to incorporate entrepreneurship training straight into students’ scholastic experience.
According to him, the objective is to assist students establish enterprise and innovation abilities before graduation.
Government Protects Infrastructure Spending
The Minister strongly protected the federal government’s facilities investments in education.
He revealed that:
- 18 medical schools across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones supposedly got rehabilitation financing.
- Universities received assistance for labs, workshops and hostels.
- New simulation laboratories are being established.
- Billions of naira are being bought engineering and innovation laboratories.
- Extra funds are being assigned for student accommodation.
The Minister firmly insisted that keeping track of systems are in location to ensure accountability.
He explained that projects go through several layers of oversight, including institutional monitoring, ministerial supervision and independent consultants.
He likewise referenced the advancement of digital tracking dashboards for education jobs.
Out-of-School Children: Government Disputes 18.3 Million Figure
One of the most contentious parts of the interview fixated Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
The Minister challenged the widely cited figure of 18.3 million out-of-school kids typically referenced by UNICEF and other worldwide organisations.
According to him, the Federal government is carrying out state-by-state information mapping exercises to develop more precise numbers.
He revealed that:
- More than one million children have actually supposedly been gone back to school in the last 30 months.
- Information mapping workouts are continuous in numerous states.
- Kaduna State’s mapping exercise presumably decreased estimated figures from 1.8 million to around 700,000.
Based upon preliminary findings, the Minister claimed Nigeria might presently have fewer than eight million out-of-school kids.
However, he acknowledged that the figure remains unacceptably high.
New School Feeding and Private School Collaboration Plans
To address the out-of-school crisis, the Minister disclosed that the government is establishing:
- Expanded school feeding programmes
- Partnerships with private schools to take in susceptible children
- Technology-driven monitoring systems
- Wider cooperation with state federal governments
According to him, the federal government intends to fund some private schools on a per-child basis to support enrolment expansion.
He likewise said discussions are ongoing around a wider national school feeding framework connected to enrolment and retention.
Partnership with State Federal Governments
The Minister acknowledged that fundamental education falls largely under the jurisdiction of state federal governments however firmly insisted that stronger partnership now exists in between federal and subnational authorities.
He mentioned examples of infrastructure development and education growth in states such as Borno, Lagos, Kaduna and Katsina.
According to him, numerous governors are increasing investments in school infrastructure, clever schools and mega education tasks.
STEM and Knowledge Economy Vision
When inquired about the administration’s long-term education vision, the Minister stated the government’s focus is to transition Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.
He determined STEMM– Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences– as a core top priority.
The government, he said, is investing greatly in laboratories, engineering infrastructure and research support to strengthen these areas.
Federal Government Claims “Japa” Trend Is Slowing
The Minister also reacted to issues about growing outbound student migration.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s high international student mobility figures, he argued that the pattern is starting to slow as confidence in Nigerian universities improves.
According to him, elements such as enhanced academic stability, facilities financial investments and reforms are helping to retain more students within the country.
He pointed to programs such as JUPEB and increased need for top Nigerian universities as signs of restored confidence in regional organizations.
Bilateral Education Scholarships Under Evaluation
The Minister also protected the government’s decision to suspend elements of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship plan.
He explained parts of the programme as economically ineffective and open up to abuse.
According to him, some beneficiaries were being sponsored to study courses abroad that might already be studied efficiently within Nigeria.
Nevertheless, he guaranteed that existing commitments to current scholarship beneficiaries would be honoured.
He divulged that:
- About N4 billion has currently been paid.
- Additional payments are anticipated in the coming weeks.
Growing Expectations for Shipment
The interview reflected the growing pressure on Nigeria’s education authorities to deliver measurable enhancements across the sector.
While the Minister protected the administration’s record and firmly insisted reforms are producing outcomes, issues remain around infrastructure gaps, finding out quality, instructor scarcities, moneying sustainability and the persistent out-of-school kids crisis.
Many of the reforms announced– particularly around admissions, instructor education and technical training– are most likely to form national dispute in the coming months.
For stakeholders across the sector, the larger question may now be whether application can match the scale of aspiration being projected.
As Nigeria continues to face joblessness, population growth, abilities scarcities and widening educational inequality, the efficiency of these reforms could have long-term implications not only for schools and universities, but for the nation’s more comprehensive social and economic future.