KEY POINTS

• Armed Forces College of Medicine to launch under NDA
• Nigeria faces 340,000 doctor shortfall.
• First admissions targeted for late 2026.

The Federal Government has advanced plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences, a move designed to strengthen military medical readiness and expand Nigeria’s healthcare training capacity.

At a high-level meeting, Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmed, Defence Minister Christopher Musa, and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle joined senior officials from defence, health, and education agencies to finalise the proposal.

Officials said the Armed Forces College of Medicine will address critical gaps in military healthcare staffing and further contribute to national workforce expansion.

Armed Forces College of Medicine Plan

Alausa said Nigeria, with a population exceeding 240 million, has only 189 medical doctors serving within the Defence Forces. Nationally, the country faces an estimated deficit of about 340,000 doctors.

Furthermore, he noted that authorities have already doubled annual medical school admissions from about 5,000 to nearly 10,000 and plan to raise the figure to roughly 19,000 in the coming years. He added that the Armed Forces College of Medicine will serve as a key pillar of that expansion.

The institution will therefore operate within the framework of the Nigerian Defence Academy in line with a seven-year moratorium on new tertiary institutions. Accredited federal and military hospitals will provide clinical training to maintain academic standards.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will conduct admissions. After completing their training, the Armed Forces will commission graduates as captains, combining medical education with military leadership.

Governance and Implementation Framework

Furthermore, a Technical Working Group has been constituted to oversee implementation and regulatory compliance. The team includes representatives from the Federal Ministries of Education and Defence, the Nigerian Defence Academy, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the National Universities Commission, JAMB and also professional bodies.

The group is also mandated to complete processes for the first intake by October or November 2026.

Officials said the Armed Forces College of Medicine will build a pipeline of combat casualty-trained doctors, trauma surgeons and military public health experts, while positioning Nigeria as a regional centre for military medical training in West Africa.