PROFILE: Meet Tunji Alausa, Tinubu’s Personal Doctor and Nephrologist As New Education Minister

President Bola Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, dismissing some ministers and re-assigning some to other ministries. The president also merged some ministries “for optimal efficiency”.

At the Ministry of Education, Mr Tinubu removed Tahir Mamman, a professor. He also reassigned the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Tinubu announced Tunji Alaussa as the new Minister of Education and Suwaiba Ahmad as the Minister of State for Education.

Mr Alausa, the new education minister, is a successful medical doctor. Mr Alausa earned his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Lagos in 1993.

He practised as a Nephrologist in the United States for many years. He served as Chief Medical Resident at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. He was also an Assistant Professor at the Rush University Medical School.

Alausa was named one of America’s Best Physicians in 2007, 2012 and 2020. Before his latest appointment as education minister, he served as the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare.

Alausa, from Epe, Lagos State, is a personal physician to President Tinubu and has been involved in the decisions around the education sector behind the scenes since the new administration appointed him as the Minister of State for Health.

Many stakeholders in the education sector who spoke  on condition of anonymity as soon as his new portfolio was announced hailed the President’s decision, describing him as a perfect replacement for Mr Mamman.