Dr. Moruf Tunji Alausa, born on April 18, 1967, is a UNILAG-trained medical doctor and the 36th Minister of Education in Nigeria.
Before his deployment to the Ministry of Education on October 23, 2024, he served as the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare from August 21, 2023, to October 2024.
Education
After completing his elementary and secondary education, he was admitted to the University of Lagos in 1986 to study Medicine and Surgery, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1993.
He later proceeded to the United States for a residency at Cook County Hospital, Chicago (1997–2002).
Alausa then attended the Medical College of Wisconsin from 2002 to 2004, where he earned a fellowship in Nephrology.
Career
Following his mandatory one-year National Youth Service in Nigeria, he worked briefly in the country before moving to the United Kingdom, where he served at the Royal Bolton Hospital as an internal medicine specialist between November 1995 and January 1996.
From February 1996 to January 1997, he worked as a medical doctor specializing in internal medicine at the University of Newcastle in Sunderland, U.K.
He later relocated to the United States, where he began as a resident doctor at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, from July 1997 to May 2000.
At Cook County Hospital, he was promoted to Chief Medical Resident (June 2000–June 2001). Alausa continued to combine clinical practice with academics in Chicago, joining Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Hospital as an Assistant Professor and Attending Physician from 2001 to 2002.
In July 2002, he joined the Medical College of Wisconsin for specialist training in nephrology.
As a Founder
By mid-2004, Tunji Alausa had founded Kidney Care Centre (KCC), one of the leading kidney clinics in the United States.
Within a few years, KCC expanded across various U.S. cities. As of the time of this publication, KCC has 17 locations in Illinois, four in Indiana, three in Pennsylvania, and four each in Georgia and Tennessee. He serves as the Executive Chairman and Chief Medical Officer of the center.
In 2014, Alausa founded the Dialysis Care Centre in Homer, Illinois, marking another milestone in his medical career.
His hospitals work closely with several medical centers across the U.S. and Nigeria to address kidney-related diseases, including partnerships with AdventHealth Bolingbrook Hospital in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
He continued in this role until his appointment as Minister of State for Health in August 2023.
Foray into Politics
Although little was publicly known about him before his appointment, Alausa had long been aligned with Bola Tinubu.
Unconfirmed sources suggest he actively supported Tinubu’s candidacy and campaign in the Southwest leading up to the 2023 presidential election.
He came to national prominence following his nomination by President Tinubu on August 16, 2023, and was sworn in as Minister of State for Health on August 21, 2023.
As Minister of State for Health
During his tenure as Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Alausa worked closely with the Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, to implement key health policies, including:
- Inaugurating a steering committee for national prescription;
- Boosting local syringe manufacturing;
- Providing waivers for hospitals to employ medical workers to mitigate the impact of the “japa” migration of Nigerian-trained doctors.
The positive working relationship with Prof. Pate was evident in the Ministry of Health’s achievements within the year.
On October 23, 2024, President Tinubu redeployed Alausa from the Health Ministry to the Ministry of Education, appointing him as the senior minister to replace Prof. Tahir Mamman.
As Minister of Education
Even during his time in the Health Ministry, Alausa had supported education-related policies, including a plan to double the enrolment quota for medical students as a temporary solution to the “japa” syndrome among Nigerian medical graduates.
At his inaugural press conference as Minister of Education, he abolished the controversial 18-year age requirement for university admission, which was to be implemented in 2025 by his predecessor.
Although the policy was not created by Prof. Mamman, but stakeholder believe that advancements in education had made it outdated. He has also pledged to make degree programs 80% practical and 20% theoretical to better align with today’s labor market demands.
Awards
Dr. Tunji Alausa, a specialist in chronic kidney disease, kidney transplant, glomerular disorders, dialysis, and kidney stones, won the “America’s Best Physician” award in 2007 and again in 2012.
Dr. Alausa is Board-Certified in Nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, United States.
Reference:
- “Tunji Alausa, M.D.”. Kidney Care Centre. KCC. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
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