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

The Federal Government is planning to establish medical simulation centres in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to expand healthcare training and increase the number of doctors produced in the country.

The initiative is expected to support the government’s target of raising annual admission into medical schools to about 20,000 within the next three years.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Medical Simulation Committee.

The development was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the Office of the Minister of Education and signed by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.

Alausa said the planned simulation centres would provide practical training facilities for students studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and other allied health professions.

He said, “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-44class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals.”

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According to the minister, the facilities would be distributed across the six geopolitical zones and form part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He explained that the need for greater training capacity had become more pressing due to the sharp rise in enrolment across health-related disciplines.

Alausa revealed that enrolment in nursing programmes had increased significantly, rising from about 38,000 students three years ago to more than 120,000 currently across nursing schools in Nigeria.

He also disclosed that annual admission into medical schools had grown from roughly 5,000 students when the Tinubu administration came into office to nearly 12,000 at present.

“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,” he said.

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The minister noted that admission figures for pharmacy and dental programmes had also recorded increases.

He praised the Chairman of the Medical Simulation Committee, Dr Wale Suleiman, alongside other members of the committee, for their efforts in developing the report and laying the groundwork for the proposed facilities.

Alausa said expanding admission without providing sufficient facilities for practical instruction would not adequately address the country’s healthcare workforce needs. He therefore stressed the importance of equipping students with hands-on training as the number of health professional trainees continues to rise.

The proposed centres are also coming at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with the migration of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to foreign countries in search of better pay, working conditions and career prospects.

The continued departure of trained health workers has generated concern among stakeholders over the availability of skilled personnel in the nation’s hospitals and the pressure placed on an already stretched healthcare system.

The government’s plan is therefore expected to combine increased admission capacity with improved practical training for students entering the medical and allied health professions.

Alausa further reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to improving the quality of education and developing a workforce capable of contributing to Nigeria’s long-term development.

He said, “President Bola is committed to providing the best and the highest quality of education to every child in this country.

“We are seeing it; we are seeing the result now. It’s another manifestation of President Bola’s fervent and benevolent belief in the progress and benefit of the future of Nigeria.”

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