Author: By Imoleayo Oyedeyi

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, discusses with IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI the key national issues affecting the education sector, with a focus on the reform policies rolled out by the present administration

On October 23, you clocked one year as the 31st substantive Minister of Education. How will you describe the journey so far?

It’s been very fruitful and impactful. You know we have a President, Bola Tinubu, who believes so much in education. When he was going to make his cabinet reshuffle, it was clear to all that he knew the capabilities of all his ministers, and he would not give them any work that he believed they could not do. I think that months after that, the President was vindicated in the transformation we brought to the Nigerian education system with six clear high-priority areas that we have tackled in a concurrent manner, and we are beginning to see significant results.

The number one was to bring technical education and vocational training back to our schools, and we have been successful in this. First, we have revived the interest of Nigerian youths in technical and vocational education. We have let them know that this is the bedrock of society. We have been able to reawaken their conscience and interest in this key area.