- Nigeria Plans Military Medical College to Address Doctor Shortage
- The new college will operate within the framework of the Nigerian Defence Academy
- A Technical Working Group has been set up with representatives from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, National Universities Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and other relevant professional and regulatory bodies
The Federal Government has announced plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences as part of efforts to strengthen military healthcare services and address the country’s widening shortage of medical professionals.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the proposal was discussed at a high-level meeting involving the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Suwiaba Sai’d Ahmad; the Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa; and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle. Senior officials from the Nigerian Defence Academy and the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme were also in attendance.
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According to officials, the new college will operate within the framework of the Nigerian Defence Academy in line with the Federal Government’s seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions. The institution is to be located in Lagos State.
Nigeria, with a population estimated at over 240 million, faces a significant shortage of medical doctors. Government officials put the deficit at approximately 340,000, prompting ongoing reforms aimed at expanding medical training nationwide. The Federal Ministry of Education recently increased annual medical school admissions from about 5,000 to nearly 10,000 students, with plans to scale up further in the coming years.
The proposed Armed Forces College of Medicine is expected to contribute to that expansion while focusing specifically on training military doctors, surgeons, trauma specialists and other health professionals for service within the Armed Forces.
Clinical training will be conducted at designated military medical facilities in Lagos, including the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and the 661 Nigerian Air Force Hospital, alongside other accredited military hospitals.
Under the proposed structure, cadets will undergo an eight-year programme comprising six years of academic medical training, one year of military training and one year of housemanship. Graduates are expected to be commissioned into military service upon completion.
To ensure regulatory compliance, a Technical Working Group has been set up with representatives from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, National Universities Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and other relevant professional and regulatory bodies.
Officials say the goal is to begin admissions by October or November 2026.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen healthcare capacity and national security infrastructure.
