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.
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.