Health Colleges Urge Tinubu to Lift 7-Year Moratorium on New Institutions

The Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has congratulated Professor Babatunde Salako on his appointment as Chairman of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Governing Board. The association views his appointment as timely, especially as the NBTE had been without a functional governing board for over five years.

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the blanket moratorium should not be interpreted in a manner that prevents existing institutions that had already commenced the accreditation process with NBTE before the ban from completing the process.

However, the primary focus of the association's statement is its renewed appeal to the Federal Government to reconsider the seven-year moratorium on establishing new tertiary institutions. The provosts specifically highlighted the negative impact of this ban on Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences.

They warned that the policy could exacerbate the existing shortage of healthcare professionals in Nigeria, particularly in light of the ongoing brain drain. The moratorium, they argue, risks accelerating the depletion of skilled healthcare workers, which could consequently deprive grassroots populations of essential medical services.

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The seven-year ban would accelerate the depletion of skilled healthcare workers across local communities and could directly or indirectly deprive grassroots populations of critical medical care.

The association stressed that the blanket moratorium should not impede institutions that had already initiated their accreditation processes with the NBTE before the ban was imposed. They urged the government to exempt these institutions and ensure that accreditation processes remain accessible, emphasizing their pride in Professor Salako and their eagerness to see him lead the new NBTE team.

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We are proud of him and excited to watch him lead this new team.