The Federal Government has set a target of admitting 20,000 students into Nigerian medical schools annually within the next three years, while planning to establish medical simulation centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The initiative is aimed at expanding Nigeria’s healthcare workforce and improving practical training for medical professionals amid concerns over the continued migration of doctors, nurses and other health workers abroad.

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Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed the plan on Sunday after receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Medical Simulation Committee.

Alausa said the proposed simulation centres would provide world-class practical training for students of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and other allied health professions.

“Today, I’m happy to report that we’re admitting almost 12,000 students primarily now. Our goal in the next three years will increase the number of annual medical student enrollment in medical school to about 20,000,” the minister said.

Nursing Enrolment Rises to Over 120,000

According to Alausa, the expansion of healthcare education has made the development of modern practical training facilities increasingly urgent.

He disclosed that nursing enrolment has increased from about 38,000 students three years ago to more than 120,000 across nursing schools in Nigeria.

Admissions into pharmacy and dental programmes have also doubled, further increasing demand for adequate practical training infrastructure.

The minister commended the Medical Simulation Committee for developing plans for the proposed centres, describing them as important to producing healthcare professionals with practical skills comparable to global standards.

“We are now talking about building several simulation centres across the country to provide world-class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals,” Alausa said.

The initiative is being funded through TETFund and is aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which identifies healthcare workforce development as a national priority.

The committee included representatives of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and University of Abuja Medical School. It was chaired by Dr Wale Suleiman.

FG Intensifies Investment in Medical Education

The latest announcement builds on previous Federal Government investments aimed at improving medical education and healthcare training infrastructure.

The government had earlier announced funding for the rehabilitation and development of medical schools, including a ₦110 billion TETFund intervention for 18 institutions in 2025.

The Federal Government also announced plans to establish medical simulation centres as part of efforts to modernise healthcare training and reduce infrastructure gaps.

Alausa said the latest expansion would help Nigeria train more healthcare professionals and strengthen the country’s capacity to meet its growing healthcare needs.