The Federal Government has increased annual admissions into nursing schools from about 20,000 to 50,000 students to tackle Nigeria’s shortage of healthcare professionals, Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa said.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Alausa said the expansion is part of broader education reforms aimed at producing the skilled workforce needed to support President Bola Tinubu’s goal of building a $1tn economy by 2030.
He said the government is investing in human capital 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,” he said.
Alausa said admissions into medicine, pharmacy and dentistry have also been significantly increased, expressing confidence that the reforms would help reduce the shortage of healthcare workers as more graduates enter the workforce.
He added that education remains central to the administration’s economic agenda and credited the expansion to President Tinubu’s commitment to human capital development.
The minister also said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was designed to remain financially sustainable beyond the current administration and noted that improved dialogue with academic and non-academic unions had restored stability in tertiary institutions.
Nigeria has long struggled with a shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals due to limited training capacity and the migration of health workers abroad.
The government says expanding admissions into health-related programmes is key to addressing local workforce gaps while positioning Nigeria as a supplier of skilled professionals to the global labour market.
