The Federal Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) to fast-track the establishment of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences, a specialised institution designed to train medical personnel exclusively for Nigeria’s Armed Forces.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, CON, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Friday, described the initiative as a strategic investment in national security and healthcare, saying it would provide a sustainable pipeline of doctors, nurses and other specialised healthcare professionals trained to meet the unique operational needs of the military.
He said the institution would end the Armed Forces’ long-standing dependence on civilian universities for the training of its medical personnel.
“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. Neither can we continue to expect the Armed Forces to compete with the rest of the country for the limited number of doctors graduating from our universities,” Alausa said.
According to the minister, the inauguration of the Technical Working Group follows the Federal Government’s approval for the establishment of the college and signals the transition from policy approval to implementation.
Alausa said the proposed institution complements the Federal Government’s broader efforts to expand medical education across the country.
He disclosed that annual admissions into Medicine and Dentistry had increased from about 5,000 before the current administration to 10,405, with a target of raising enrolment to at least 20,000 within the next two years through the accreditation of additional colleges of medicine.
He also revealed that annual enrolment in nursing programmes had grown from about 28,000 to nearly 120,000 nationwide, surpassing the administration’s target. He commended the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for maintaining standards that have earned Nigerian nurses international recognition.
Despite the expansion in medical education, the minister stressed that the healthcare requirements of the military necessitate a purpose-built institution tailored to military realities.
He urged the Technical Working Group to prioritise specialised programmes, including Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, to support the treatment and rehabilitation of personnel recovering from combat-related injuries.
“This institution is not being established to compete with conventional universities. It is being established to make the Armed Forces self-sufficient in producing the healthcare professionals they require. Every programme should answer one simple question: Does the Armed Forces need it? If the answer is yes, then it should be prioritised,” he said.
The minister explained that the Technical Working Group comprises representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Defence, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and other strategic institutions.
He said the committee would develop the academic curriculum, integrate military and academic training, coordinate accreditation processes, facilitate the appointment of key academic personnel and work with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to ensure the commencement of academic activities during the 2026 academic session.
Alausa disclosed that he had already engaged the JAMB Registrar to facilitate the inclusion of the institution on the admissions portal and directed the NUC to expedite resource verification and accreditation processes to enable the admission of the pioneer military medical cadets in 2026.
Providing an update on preparations, Chairman of the Technical Working Group and Director-General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, Major General Idris Babatunde Solebo, said the proposed college is being developed using the model of the Uniformed Services University in the United States.
He explained that medical cadets would undergo integrated academic and military training from admission to graduation, equipping them with competencies in battlefield medicine, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and other specialised military medical skills.
Solebo said the college would be located at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, where existing infrastructure would facilitate an early take-off.
He added that the Armed Forces currently face an estimated 93 per cent deficit in medical personnel, making the establishment of the college critical to strengthening military healthcare services and ensuring a sustainable supply of qualified medical professionals.
The minister expressed appreciation to the Minister of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence for their support for the initiative, expressing confidence that the institution would admit its first set of military medical cadets during the 2026 academic session.
