FG targets 20,000 medical students yearly, unveils six simulation centres

Nigeria’s federal government plans to build medical simulation centres in all six geopolitical zones as it seeks to increase annual medical-school admissions to 20,000 within three years.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the centres would offer practical training for medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and other healthcare students. He spoke while receiving a report from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Medical Simulation Committee.

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I would like to thank the members of the committee that have worked so hard and assiduously to get us to this point in which we are now talking about building several simulation centres across the country to provide world-class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals.

Alausa said the expansion responds to rising enrolment in health-related programmes. Nursing enrolment has grown from about 38,000 students three years ago to more than 120,000, while annual medical-school admissions have risen from about 5,000 when President Bola Tinubu took office to almost 12,000 currently.

The government says the centres will support its plan to expand Nigeria’s healthcare workforce under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The initiative comes amid concerns about the migration of Nigerian-trained healthcare workers and the need to ensure that growing student numbers receive adequate practical training.

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Today, I’m happy to report that we’re admitting almost 12,000 students. Our goal in the next three years will be to increase the number of annual medical student enrolment in medical schools to about 20,000.