The Federal Government has unveiled plans to begin training doctors, nurses and other specialised healthcare professionals exclusively for the Nigerian Armed Forces, with the first batch of military medical cadets expected to be admitted in the 2026 academic session.
Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating a Technical Working Group to fast-track the establishment of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
Attah said the proposed institution is designed to end the Armed Forces’ long-standing dependence on civilian universities for the training of medical personnel by creating a dedicated pipeline of healthcare professionals equipped for military service.
Describing the initiative as a strategic investment in national security and human capital development, Alausa said the establishment of the Technical Working Group signalled the Federal Government’s transition from policy approval to implementation.
“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,” the minister said.
He said the Armed Forces deserved a healthcare workforce trained around the unique demands of military operations, noting that the new institution would focus on producing professionals equipped to support soldiers both on and off the battlefield.
The minister explained that the project complements the Federal Government’s ongoing expansion of medical education across the country.
According to him, annual admissions into Medicine and Dentistry have increased from about 5,000 before the current administration to 10,405 students, while the government is targeting at least 20,000 admissions within the next two years through the accreditation of additional colleges of medicine.
Alausa also said annual enrolment into nursing programmes had risen from about 28,000 to nearly 120,000 nationwide, surpassing the administration’s target.
While commending the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for maintaining standards that have earned Nigerian nurses global recognition, the minister stressed that the healthcare requirements of the military demanded a specialised institution.
“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.
Alausa directed the Technical Working Group to prioritise programmes such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and other specialised disciplines that would support the treatment and rehabilitation of personnel recovering from combat-related injuries.
He said the committee, which comprises representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, National Universities Commission, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Defence Academy and other strategic institutions, would develop the academic curriculum, integrate military and academic training, coordinate accreditation, facilitate key academic appointments and work with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to ensure the successful commencement of academic activities in the 2026 academic session.
The minister further disclosed that he had engaged the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to facilitate the inclusion of the college on the admissions portal and directed the National Universities Commission to fast-track all resource verification and accreditation processes.
Giving an update on preparations, the Director General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme and Chairman of the Technical Working Group, Major General Idris Babatunde Solebo, said the institution was 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 through graduation, acquiring competencies in battlefield medicine, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and other specialised military medical skills.
Solebo added that the college would be located at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, where existing infrastructure would support immediate take-off.
He revealed that the Armed Forces currently face an estimated 93 per cent deficit in medical personnel, making the establishment of the institution critical to guaranteeing a sustainable supply of doctors and other healthcare professionals for the military.
Alausa thanked the Minister of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence for supporting the initiative and expressed confidence that the Technical Working Group would complete its assignment in time for the admission of the pioneer military medical cadets during the 2026 academic session.
The establishment of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences aligns with the Tinubu administration’s broader reforms aimed at expanding medical education and addressing Nigeria’s shortage of healthcare professionals.
The federal government has significantly increased admissions into medicine, dentistry and nursing programmes through the accreditation of additional institutions.
The proposed military medical college is expected to complement these efforts by producing doctors, nurses and allied health professionals specifically trained to meet the operational, emergency and rehabilitation needs of the Nigerian Armed Forces, while strengthening the country’s defence healthcare system.
