The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a specialised institution to train doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals exclusively for the Nigerian Armed Forces, with the first intake of military medical cadets scheduled for the 2026 academic session.
Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this on Friday while inaugurating a Technical Working Group (TWG) to fast-track the establishment of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The initiative aims to reduce the military’s heavy reliance on civilian universities for medical personnel and create a sustainable pipeline of healthcare professionals trained to meet the unique demands of military service, including battlefield medicine and rehabilitation of combat injuries.
“We cannot continue to leave the brave men and women who defend our nation without a sustainable system for training the healthcare professionals they require,” Alausa said.
He emphasised that the new college would not compete with civilian institutions but would make the Armed Forces self-sufficient in producing the specialists they need.
The minister directed the TWG to prioritise programmes in areas such as Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, which are critical for treating and rehabilitating injured personnel.
The college, to be modelled after the Uniformed Services University in the United States, will integrate academic and military training.
It is expected to be located at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna, leveraging existing infrastructure for a quick take-off.
Major General Idris Babatunde Solebo, Chairman of the TWG and Director General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, noted that the Armed Forces currently face a 93 per cent deficit in medical personnel, underscoring the urgency of the project.
The Technical Working Group, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Education and Defence, the National Universities Commission, regulatory bodies, and the Nigerian Defence Academy, will handle curriculum development, accreditation, and admission processes through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This move aligns with the government’s broader efforts to expand medical education, which have seen annual admissions into medicine and dentistry rise from about 5,000 to over 10,000, with a target of 20,000 in the coming years. Nursing admissions have also surged significantly.
The establishment of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s defence healthcare system and enhance the operational readiness of the military.
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