Honourable Minister for Education Tunji Alausa restore 16-year minimum age requirement into tertiary institutions

 

Expressing his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his confidence in him to lead the revitalization of Nigeria’s educational sector as he officiallyresumed his duties. With the support and collaborative efforts of his colleagues—Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Minister of State for Education, and Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, mni, NPOM, FWACP, Permanent Secretary of Education—the Minister is confident they will work diligently to address the educational needs of Nigerians.

 

The Minister said before his resumption in office, Nigerians’ expressed dissatisfaction with the 18-year minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions. It has now been reversed restoring the 16-year minimum age requirement. To clarify, the original 18-year limit stemmed from interpretations within the National Policy on Education.

 

The Minister said the plan of his team for this administration is to implement existing policies rather than introducing new ones. Reinventing the wheel is not the solution to our problems. Adopting a pragmatic and practical approach in addressing current issues, while also enhancing the quality of our curricula and processes.

 

The a next step, the Ministry will focus on hands-on training and skill-oriented learning, with a strong emphasis on vocational training. These initiatives will equip students with the practical skills and experience needed to enter the workforce.

 

In light of the high rate of out-of-school children, the Federal Ministry of Education has promised to collaborate with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to introduce conditional cash transfers. This will incentivize parents and guardians to enroll their children in school. The initiative will also include nutritional support programs aimed at improving students’ health and learning outcomes, thereby advancing human capital development nationwide.

 

The Minister said his team also plan to place greater focus on educating women and girls, as well as creating sustainable pathways for the education of children with disabilities. It is crucial to ensure they are included, not excluded, from society. By doing so, we can break cycles of poverty and challenge outdated mindsets.

 

He also implore our private sector organizations and development partners to join the Ministry in its mission to revamp the educational sector. With the support of Nigerians the Minister believes we can enable mechanized farming for agricultural students to help address food insecurity, and push for cleaner energy by training students to retrofit generators and cars from fuel to CNG.

 

The Minister said he and his team are here to work for the betterment of Nigerians and our beloved country, Nigeria.

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