The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no qualified student will be denied access to higher education because of financial hardship, stating that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has removed financial barriers through student-focused reforms and investments exceeding ₦1 trillion in tertiary education.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Education.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, Alausa said the government remains committed to ensuring that every qualified Nigerian, regardless of economic background, has access to quality higher education.

He explained that President Tinubu’s administration has introduced policies designed to eliminate financial obstacles that previously prevented many young Nigerians from pursuing tertiary education.

“This President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has opened up access to students so that not having money, or coming from an indigent family, or your parents being poor, will no longer stop you from achieving the opportunities you can achieve in life. Education is no longer a barrier for students in this country,” Alausa said.

The minister noted that the reforms are aimed at strengthening human capital development by creating opportunities for young Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national and global development.

He revealed that the Federal Government has committed more than ₦1 trillion to tertiary education over the past two years, describing the intervention as one of the largest investments in the sector’s history.

According to Alausa, the government has allocated ₦250 billion for the construction of new student hostels across tertiary institutions and invested over ₦150 billion in the rehabilitation of existing hostels, classrooms, engineering workshops and other academic facilities.

He further disclosed that more than ₦130 billion has been invested in upgrading medical schools and expanding their training capacity nationwide. In addition, ₦52 billion has been approved for modern equipment in 18 medical schools, while nearly ₦30 billion has been spent on establishing 11 state-of-the-art medical simulation laboratories to improve practical clinical training.