The Federal Government has announced plans to commence academic activities at the proposed Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences in the 2026 academic session as part of efforts to address a critical shortage of medical personnel within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating a Technical Working Group to fast-track the establishment of the specialised institution.
He said the college would provide dedicated training for military doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, ending the Armed Forces’ reliance on civilian universities for medical education.
Describing the project as a strategic investment in national security and human capital development, Alausa said the initiative marks the transition from policy approval to implementation.
“The Armed Forces require a dedicated system for producing healthcare professionals trained to meet the unique demands of military operations, rather than relying on the limited number of graduates from conventional medical schools,” the minister said.
According to him, the proposed institution complements the Federal Government’s ongoing expansion of medical education across the country. He disclosed that annual admissions into Medicine and Dentistry have increased from about 5,000 before the current administration to 10,405, with a target of 20,000 admissions within the next two years through the accreditation of more colleges of medicine.
Alausa also revealed that annual enrolment into nursing programmes has risen from about 28,000 to nearly 120,000, surpassing the government’s target. He stressed that the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences is intended to make the military self-sufficient in producing healthcare professionals rather than competing with existing universities.
The minister directed the Technical Working Group to prioritise specialised courses, including Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and other rehabilitation programmes required for the treatment of personnel injured during military operations.
The committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, National Universities Commission (NUC), Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and other relevant agencies, has been tasked with developing the academic curriculum, securing accreditation, overseeing key appointments and working with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to facilitate the admission of the first batch of cadets in 2026.
Alausa said discussions had already been held with the JAMB Registrar to list the institution on the admissions portal, while the NUC had been directed to fast-track accreditation and resource verification to ensure a smooth take-off.
Chairman of the Technical Working Group and Director-General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, Major General Idris Babatunde Solebo, said the college would adopt the training model of the Uniformed Services University in the United States, combining academic education with military training.
“Cadets will undergo integrated academic and military training, including battlefield medicine, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and other specialised military medical disciplines,” Solebo said.
He disclosed that the institution would be sited at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, leveraging existing facilities for immediate commencement of academic activities.
Solebo further revealed that the Nigerian Armed Forces currently face an estimated 93 per cent shortage of medical personnel, describing the establishment of the college as critical to ensuring a sustainable pipeline of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals needed to support military operations.
The proposed institution is part of the Tinubu administration’s broader reforms aimed at expanding medical education, strengthening healthcare delivery and improving the operational readiness of the Armed Forces.
