RENEWING HOPE IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR 

Tunji Alausa is focused on building a future-ready education system that unlocks human capital, and restores confidence, reckons YAKUBU DATI

Few sectors capture the sense of urgency needed to address Nigeria’s development challenge like education.

With millions of out-of-school children on the prowl, declining learning outcomes, a widening skills gap, and the consequent effect on security and the economy, the need for decisive reform was no longer debatable but urgent.

Clearly, there’s no way any nation can move forward with such a grim prospect hampering one of its most sensitive sectors, more so an administration like the current one led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is serious about renewing the hope of Nigerians to install a stable economy and ensure a highly educated citizenry.

When President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he took very bold steps in addressing the economy, and because of that, he was seen as the solution to revamping other sectors.

At that time, hundreds of thousands were fleeing the country in search of quality education to be able to compete on the global level and to contribute to the development of the country.

Unfortunately, even basic education was being outsourced for lack of standards, while for tertiary education, those that couldn’t get to Europe and America had to, to the utter shame of a big country like Nigeria, make do with seeking admission in neighboring African countries like Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, etc.

The height of the embarrassment was when these countries started cashing in on the education deficit in Nigeria by resorting to sub-par curriculum just to issue paper qualifications in the shortest time possible in what became known as Cotonou graduate syndrome.

It is against this backdrop that Dr. Morufu Tunji Alausa was appointed minister of education.

With a solid academic pedigree, Dr. Alausa immediately understood the task before him and keyed into the agenda of President Tinubu to fundamentally reset the sector.

It would suffice to state here that Dr. Alausa earned his MBBS from the University of Lagos and pursued advanced medical training in the United Kingdom and the United States, rising to serve as Chief Medical Resident and Assistant Professor in leading institutions.

Beyond academia, he built and managed successful healthcare organizations as a board-certified nephrologist, demonstrating capacity for complex system management, institutional reform, and results-driven leadership.

He brought these experiences to shape his approach to education reform.

To tackle the problem of access without quality, which has been a big problem, Dr. Alausa placed emphasis on curriculum relevance, teacher quality, and accountability; as for years, Nigeria only expanded enrollment but neglected learning outcomes, thereby producing graduates ill-equipped for the demands of a modern economy.

With that focus, he began to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and digital literacy, while making problem-solving skills imperative so that Nigerian learners could compete globally and contribute meaningfully at home.

As education is the most powerful enabler, there was a need to start from the foundation: the issue of tackling Nigeria’s out-of-school children.

To keep children, especially the girl-child, in school, interventions that go beyond building classrooms, school feeding programs, conditional incentives for vulnerable families, community engagement, and safe learning environments have to be designed to make education more attractive.

A system where data, outcomes, and continuous improvement guide decision-making, rather than ad hoc initiatives, was introduced, and the sector is already experiencing a shift toward evidence-based policymaking and innovation.

One of the most consequential shifts is the renewed focus on technical, vocational, and skills-based education because for too long, Nigeria has privileged certificates over competencies, producing degree holders without jobs and industries without skilled workers.

Revitalizing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), embedding apprenticeship models, and partnering with the private sector to bridge this disconnect have also been set in motion.

Apart from attracting funding streams through TETFUND, innovative financing models—such as public-private partnerships and targeted grants to complement public spending—are being entrenched.

Instinctively, digital transformation also features prominently in the vision of the current administration; hence, the need to expand access to technology, improve teacher training, and strengthen system-wide monitoring.

The Nigerian education system now operates in such a way that it blends learning models, education management information systems, and digital assessment tools to help citizens leapfrog long-standing structural constraints, particularly in underserved areas.

This way, higher education and research are tailored to serve national development, not remain isolated in ivory towers, while universities are empowered to drive innovation, align research with national priorities, and collaborate with industry and global partners.

Under Dr. Tunji Alausa’s leadership, building a future-ready education system that unlocks human capital, restores confidence, and secures Nigeria’s long-term prosperity remains the focus.

It may not be quick nor easy, but it is gradually being achieved.

Dati, Chairman, Governing Board, Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, can be reached at Yakubudati@gmail.com.