Nigeria targets 20,000 annual medical student admissions

The Nigerian federal government has announced plans to increase annual medical school admissions to 20,000 students within the next three years. This initiative aims to expand the national healthcare workforce and address concerns regarding the migration of trained healthcare professionals.

To support this growth, the government intends to establish world-class medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These centres, supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), will provide practical, hands-on training for students in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and other allied healthcare fields.

Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa noted that medical school admissions have already risen from approximately 5,000 students at the start of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to nearly 12,000 currently. Additionally, nursing enrolment has seen a significant surge, increasing from about 38,000 students three years ago to over 120,000.