By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has sparked widespread controversy after suggesting that students studying social science courses may face limited job prospects, igniting debate across academic and labour circles.
On 26 April 2026, Alausa, speaking at a student engagement in Abuja, warned that many social science graduates could struggle to find employment, urging a shift toward more “market-relevant” and skills-based disciplines. He further hinted at plans to phase out certain courses deemed less aligned with economic demands.
The remarks drew swift criticism from academics, unions, and policy analysts, who argued that the minister’s position oversimplifies Nigeria’s unemployment crisis.
Experts insist that job scarcity affects graduates across all disciplines, pointing instead to structural economic weaknesses and limited industrial capacity as the core issue.
Labour groups also warned that dismissing entire fields of study could deepen inequality and discourage intellectual diversity, stressing that social science graduates remain vital in governance, policy, and development sectors.
The controversy has since evolved into a broader debate about education policy, curriculum relevance, and the future direction of Nigeria’s workforce development strategy.
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