The federal government has announced plans to establish six world-class medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to strengthen practical training for the country’s growing healthcare workforce.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Medical Simulation Committee.
Alausa said the proposed centres would play a crucial role in equipping students studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and other allied health disciplines with practical skills required for professional practice.
He explained that the initiative had become necessary following the sharp rise in admissions into 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 approximately 5,000 when President Bola Tinubu assumed office to nearly 12,000 currently.
He said the federal government was working towards raising annual medical school admissions to about 20,000 within the next three years, making the provision of modern facilities for practical training increasingly essential.
“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.
Alausa noted that enrolment in pharmacy and dental programmes had also doubled, stressing that the expansion in student population must be accompanied by adequate investment in the quality and standard of training.
He said the simulation centres would help close the gap between theoretical learning and clinical practice by giving students access to modern and controlled environments where they could acquire and hone essential skills before interacting with actual patients.
The minister added that the initiative was consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, particularly its focus on expanding the nation’s healthcare workforce while strengthening the quality of education and professional training.
“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,” Alausa said.
He commended the chairman of the Medical Simulation Committee, Dr Wale Suleiman, alongside other members of the committee, for developing the framework for the establishment of the centres.
The committee also benefited from the contributions of professionals drawn from major regulatory and professional bodies, including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, as well as representatives from academic institutions.
Alausa described the proposed project as further evidence of the federal government’s determination to improve educational standards, particularly as the country seeks to develop a larger and more highly skilled healthcare workforce.
He assured that the government would sustain its support for the establishment of TETFund Medical Simulation Centres across the six geopolitical zones, with the aim of ensuring that the rising number of Nigerians pursuing healthcare professions receive quality, practical and globally competitive training.
The minister said the expansion of health professional education was already producing positive outcomes, adding that the government remained committed to building the human capital needed to support Nigeria’s long-term development.
