The Federal Government has announced plans to establish six medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to strengthen practical training for the country’s expanding healthcare workforce.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the plan while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Medical Simulation Committee.
Mr Alausa said the proposed facilities would provide students of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and other allied health professions with access to modern, hands-on training before they begin treating patients.
He said the initiative had become increasingly necessary following a sharp rise in enrolment in health-related programmes across the country.
According to the minister, nursing enrolment has increased from about 38,000 students three years ago to more than 120,000, while annual admissions into medical schools have risen from about 5,000 when President Bola Tinubu assumed office to almost 12,000.
The government, he said, intends to raise annual medical school admissions to about 20,000 within the next three years.
“Our goal in the next three years will increase the number of annual medical student enrollment in medical school to about 20,000,” he said.
Mr Alausa added that enrolment in pharmacy and dentistry programmes had also doubled, making it necessary for the expansion of student numbers to be accompanied by investment in training infrastructure.
He said the simulation centres would help bridge the gap between theoretical classroom learning and clinical practice by giving students the opportunity to develop essential skills in controlled environments before working with patients.
The minister said the project was consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, particularly its focus on expanding Nigeria’s healthcare workforce while improving the quality of education and professional training.
He commended members of the Medical Simulation Committee, led by its chairman, Dr Wale Suleiman, for developing the framework for the proposed centres.
“I would like to thank the members of the committee that has worked so hard and assiduously to get us to this point in which 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,” Mr Alausa said.
The committee included representatives and experts from major professional and regulatory bodies, including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, alongside members of the academic community.
Mr Alausa described the proposed centres as part of the government’s broader efforts to raise educational standards and develop a larger, better-trained healthcare workforce.
He pledged continued government support for the establishment of the TETFund Medical Simulation Centres across the six geopolitical zones, saying the facilities would help ensure that the growing number of Nigerians entering healthcare professions receive practical training that meets global standards.
The minister said the expansion of health professional education was already yielding positive results and reiterated the government’s commitment to developing the skilled workforce required to support Nigeria’s future development.
