House of Representatives has, on Thursday, passed for second reading a bill to establish a specialised medical college for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Sponsored by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, the bill seeks to train medical doctors, specialist physicians, and allied health professionals for the Nigerian Army and other uniformed services.
The proposal responds to the ongoing emigration of Nigerian physicians, frequent strikes in civilian medical schools, and the operational need for military-specific medical training, including trauma care, tropical medicine, CBRN response, and austere environment management.
Benson noted that healthcare capacity is a key determinant of national security. He explained that the Nigerian Army currently has only 189 doctors, with nearly 40% undergoing specialist training in civilian institutions. He added that repeated strikes in civilian universities disrupt medical training, delay graduation, and reduce knowledge retention, leaving the military with insufficient manpower.
Citing international models, Benson highlighted India’s Armed Forces Medical College and the U.S. Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, which provide uninterrupted training and produce doctors familiar with military operations, protocols, and leadership requirements.
The proposed Nigerian Military Medical College (NMMC) will operate under the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). Governance will include a Board of Governors chaired by the Chief of Defence Staff and an academic council responsible for curriculum standards and quality assurance.
The college is designed to ensure a sustainable, mission-focused pipeline of military doctors, provide operational research on defence-related medical issues, and potentially offer postgraduate programs and civilian medical services to generate revenue.
Benson said the initiative, though costly initially, will reduce reliance on civilian hospitals, lower medical evacuation costs, improve troop health, and strengthen overall military readiness.
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