FG TO BEGIN TRAINING MILITARY DOCTORS, NURSES WITH NEW ARMED FORCES MEDICAL COLLEGE
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
The Federal Government has announced plans to begin training doctors, nurses and other specialised healthcare professionals exclusively for the Nigerian Armed Forces, with the first set of military medical cadets expected to commence studies in the 2026 academic session.
The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed the initiative on Friday in Abuja during the inauguration of a Technical Working Group established to fast-track the creation of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
According to a statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the proposed institution will provide a dedicated pipeline of medical professionals trained specifically to meet the healthcare needs of the Nigerian military, ending its long-standing reliance on civilian universities.
Alausa described the project as a strategic investment in national security and human capital development, saying it marks the government’s transition from policy approval to implementation.
He said the Armed Forces require healthcare professionals trained to handle the unique demands of military operations, adding that the institution will produce personnel capable of supporting troops both in combat and during peacetime.
The minister also highlighted ongoing reforms in medical education, revealing that annual admissions into Medicine and Dentistry have increased from about 5,000 to 10,405, with a target of at least 20,000 admissions within the next two years through the accreditation of additional medical colleges.
He added that yearly enrolment into nursing programmes has risen from approximately 28,000 to nearly 120,000, surpassing the Federal Government’s target.
Alausa stressed that the new military medical college is not intended to compete with conventional universities but to make the Armed Forces self-sufficient in producing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals required for military service.
He directed the Technical Working Group to prioritise specialised programmes such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and other disciplines essential for treating and rehabilitating personnel recovering from combat-related injuries.
The committee, which includes representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, National Universities Commission, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Defence Academy and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, will develop the academic curriculum, oversee accreditation, integrate military and academic training, and ensure the institution begins academic activities in 2026.
The minister also disclosed that he had engaged JAMB to include the college on its admissions portal while directing the National Universities Commission to accelerate accreditation and resource verification processes.
Providing an update on the project, Idris Babatunde Solebo said the institution is being modelled after the Uniformed Services University and will combine academic education with military training from admission to graduation.
He explained that students will receive specialised instruction in battlefield medicine, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and other military healthcare disciplines.
Solebo disclosed that the college will be located at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, allowing it to leverage existing facilities for immediate take-off.
He further revealed that the Nigerian Armed Forces currently face an estimated 93 per cent shortage of medical personnel, making the establishment of the institution critical to ensuring a sustainable supply of military healthcare professionals.
The initiative forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader reforms to expand medical education, strengthen healthcare capacity and improve the operational readiness of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
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