‘If You Don’t Have Health, You Don’t Have Life’: Education Minister Urges Students to Embrace Healthy Living

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has urged students across the country to adopt healthy lifestyles, stressing that good health is essential for academic success, productivity and national development.

Speaking at the inaugural Kid’s Dialogue Series held at Government Science Secondary School, Pyakasa, Abuja, Alausa encouraged students to prioritise personal hygiene, eat balanced diets and stay up to date with recommended vaccinations.

The event, organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Centre for Well-being and Integrated Nutritious Solutions (C-WINS), was themed “Empowering Young Voices to Shape Health, Learning and Well-being in Nigeria.”

Addressing students from various schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the minister emphasised that maintaining good health begins with personal responsibility.

“If you don’t have health, you don’t have a life. You are the future of this nation and we have to start right by keeping you healthy. The most important person in keeping you healthy is you,” Alausa said.

He described vaccination as one of the most effective ways to prevent life-threatening diseases and urged students to ensure they were fully immunised. According to him, vaccines against illnesses such as measles and polio have saved millions of lives worldwide, while the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been proven to prevent certain forms of cancer.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, called on students to become ambassadors of healthy living within their schools, homes and communities.

He encouraged them to promote good hygiene, healthy eating habits, regular physical exercise and adherence to vaccination schedules, noting that young people have a powerful influence on their peers.

Aina stressed that investing in children’s health and well-being is vital for building a productive and prosperous nation, adding that healthy students are more likely to excel academically and contribute positively to society.

He further urged participants to use the knowledge gained during the dialogue to educate family members and community residents on the importance of immunisation and preventive healthcare.

The event featured an interactive session during which students raised concerns about mental health challenges, emotional trauma and the resistance of some parents to childhood vaccination, highlighting key issues affecting the well-being of young Nigerians.