FG To Begin Training Doctors, Nurses Exclusively For Military 

The federal government has commenced plans to train doctors, nurses and other specialised healthcare professionals exclusively for the Nigerian Armed Forces, with the first set of military medical cadets expected to be admitted during the 2026 academic session.

Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while inaugurating the Technical Working Group established to accelerate the creation of the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The development was contained in a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.

According to the statement, the proposed institution is intended to end the military’s longstanding reliance 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 major investment in national security and human capital development, Alausa said the inauguration of the Technical Working Group marked the 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 stressed that the Armed Forces require a healthcare workforce trained to meet the unique demands of military operations, explaining that the new institution would produce professionals capable of supporting troops during combat operations and in peacetime.

Alausa said the project complements the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms aimed at expanding medical education nationwide.

According to him, annual admissions to Medicine and Dentistry have increased from about 5,000 under the previous administration to 10,405, with the government targeting 20,000 admissions within the next two years through the accreditation of additional medical schools.

He added that nursing admissions have also risen significantly, from about 28,000 to nearly 120,000 annually, exceeding 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 said the Armed Forces require a specialised institution dedicated to military healthcare needs.

“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.

He 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.

The committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, National Universities Commission, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Defence Academy and other key institutions, has been tasked with developing the academic curriculum, integrating military and academic training, coordinating accreditation, facilitating academic appointments and working with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to ensure the college begins academic activities in the 2026 session.

Alausa disclosed that discussions had already been held with the JAMB Registrar to include the college on the admissions portal, while the National Universities Commission had been directed to fast-track resource verification and accreditation.

Providing an update on the project, Director-General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme and Chairman of the Technical Working Group, Idris Babatunde Solebo, said the institution is being developed using the model of the Uniformed Services University in the United States.

He explained that cadets would receive integrated academic and military training from admission to graduation, including battlefield medicine, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and other specialised military medical competencies.

According to Solebo, the college will be located at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna, where existing infrastructure will enable the institution to commence operations immediately.

He revealed that the Nigerian Armed Forces currently face an estimated 93 per cent shortfall in medical personnel, making the establishment of the college critical to ensuring a sustainable supply of doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals for military operations.

The minister expressed appreciation to the Minister of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence for supporting the initiative and voiced confidence that the Technical Working Group would complete its assignment in time for the admission of the pioneer military medical cadets in the 2026 academic session.

The proposed Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader efforts to expand medical education, address Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortage and strengthen the country’s military health system by producing professionals specifically trained to meet the operational, emergency and rehabilitation needs of the Armed Forces.