The Federal Government plans to raise annual admission into Nigerian medical schools to about 20,000 students within the next three years, as part of a broader effort to expand healthcare training and strengthen the country’s medical workforce.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed the target while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Medical Simulation Committee.
The government also plans to establish a medical simulation centre in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to provide practical training for medical students and other health professionals.
Alausa said annual medical-school admissions had increased from about 5,000 students when President Bola Tinubu assumed office to almost 12,000.
He said the government wanted the number to rise further.
«“Today, I’m happy to report that we’re admitting almost 12,000 students primarily now. Our goal in the next three years is to increase the number of annual medical student enrollment in medical school to about 20,000.”»
The expansion is not limited to medicine. The minister said enrolment in pharmacy and dental programmes had also increased, while nursing enrolment had risen from about 38,000 students three years ago to more than 120,000 across nursing schools.
With the planned increase in enrolment, the government says practical training must expand alongside the number of students entering health-related programmes.
That is where the proposed simulation centres are expected to come in.
Alausa said the centres would provide practical learning opportunities for students in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and other allied health disciplines.
«“I would like to thank the members of the committee that has worked so hard and assiduously to get us to this point in which we are now talking about building several simulation centres across the country to provide world-class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals.”»
The minister said the proposed facilities were intended to help ensure that increased admission would be accompanied by quality practical education.
The plan comes as the Federal Government continues to focus on expanding Nigeria’s healthcare workforce and responding to concerns over the migration of trained professionals.
Alausa said the government would continue supporting the development of the simulation centres and the expansion of healthcare education.
He added that the broader objective was to increase access to professional education while producing the skilled personnel required by the country’s healthcare system.
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