By Abdulgaffar Amoka
A recent cabinet reshuffle has placed the Ministry of Education under the leadership of Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, a US-based nephrologist specializing in kidney diseases and hypertension management. President Tinubu’s appointment has raised eyebrows, prompting some to wonder if he views the education sector as suffering from a “kidney disease” that requires prescriptions from a medical specialist.
Dr. Alausa obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Lagos in 1993, a period marked by significant brain drain in Nigeria—a situation that is now resurfacing 30 years later. Ironically, while a new generation of Nigerians seeks opportunities abroad (“Japa”), those who emigrated decades ago are returning for political appointments to lead those who either stayed behind or had no opportunity to leave.
After completing his mandatory one-year service, Dr. Alausa left for the United Kingdom in 1995 to undergo residency training in Internal Medicine at Royal Bolton Hospital and the University of Newcastle, which he completed in 1997. He then relocated to the United States, where he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago from 1997 to 2001, eventually becoming Chief Medical Resident and serving as an Attending Physician.
In 2002, Dr. Alausa pursued specialized training in Nephrology and Hypertension at the Medical College of Wisconsin, completing it in 2004. This advanced education qualified him as a board-certified nephrologist. Following his training, he became an Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical School and later founded Kidney Care Center and Dialysis Care Center, a multi-state nephrology practice and dialysis service provider in the U.S. His accomplishments have earned him recognition and accolades throughout his career.
However, Dr. Alausa has no working experience in Nigeria. His first job in the country since graduating from UNILAG in 1993 was his appointment as Minister of State for Health about a year ago. Now, as the new Minister of Education, he arrives at a time when the sector is facing a deep crisis—one that his 28 years abroad may have shielded him from.
The renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement, which has been overdue for 12 years, is still a pressing issue. Lecturers urgently need this renegotiation to address the deteriorating state of education in Nigeria, where we are witnessing a collapsing secondary education system and a workforce that struggles to distinguish between skills and degrees.
It is insufficient for the President and his administration to merely assert that ASUU will not resort to strikes again if the necessary actions are not taken. The education sector is in dire need of leadership that understands the urgent requirements for revitalization. As Jacob Sule stated in the Nation Newspaper on October 25, 2024: “The education sector urgently requires transformative leadership with an in-depth understanding of pedagogical practices, teacher training, curriculum development, and educational infrastructure.” Additionally, the minister must grasp the socio-political dynamics surrounding student and faculty welfare, an area where long-standing agreements have often been overlooked.
Let us not be misled into thinking that the FG-ASUU crisis has been resolved. As long as the government lacks genuine sincerity in addressing these issues, ASUU remains a union that cannot be weakened by economic hardships. Its members are preparing for serious industrial action. Countries making strides in education have engaged experts to lead their education sectors.
Now, with a diasporan who has no working experience in Nigeria and limited knowledge of the education system as Minister, what can we expect? An elitist approach? Continued dehumanization of our intellectuals? Does this diasporan understand the socio-political complexities of the Nigerian university system?
The education sector is indeed ailing, but it does not suffer from kidney failure; it requires expertise, not medical prescriptions. The sector is not in need of dialysis. How, then, will Dr. Alausa’s expertise in kidney and dialysis care translate into improvements for the Nigerian education system?
There is a pressing need for sincerity in addressing the crisis in our education sector. I hope Morufu Alausa will not leave us with a deeper trench than that left by former ministers Adamu Adamu and Chris Ngige, both of whom also hold medical degrees.
I will keep you posted.
Abdulgaffar Amoka is a professor at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
