FG To Establish Armed Forces College Of Medicine, Health Sciences

The Federal Government plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences (AFCOM&HS) to boost military medical readiness and expand Nigeria’s health workforce.

At a high-level meeting on Thursday, the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, and Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, and Director-General of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, and key stakeholders agreed on the initiative aimed at addressing critical manpower shortages within the Armed Forces, and expanding Nigeria’s overall medical training capacity.

According to the education ministry’s spokesperson, Boriowo Folasade, Alausa lamented that while the nation’s population exceeds 240 million, only 189 medical professionals currently serve within the Defence Forces.

He further noted Nigeria’s deficit of approximately 340,000 doctors, stressing the urgent need for scalable and innovative training models.

Folasade noted that, in addressing this issue, the Ministry of Education has doubled medical school admissions from 5,000 to nearly 10,000 annually, with plans to reach 19,000.

“The Honourable Minister of Education noted that while the nation’s population exceeds 240 million, only 189 medical professionals currently serve within the Defence Forces. He further highlighted Nigeria’s broader deficit of approximately 340,000 doctors, stressing the urgent need for scalable and innovative training models.

“As part of ongoing reforms, the Federal Ministry of Education has doubled annual medical school admissions from about 5,000 to nearly 10,000, with projections to increase to approximately 19,000 annually in the coming years. AFCOM&HS forms a critical component of this expansion strategy,” the statement read.

The Ministry further noted that the College will operate under the Nigerian Defence Academy, with clinical training at accredited military hospitals. It also noted that medical cadets will gain admission through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), while graduates will be commissioned as Captains in the Armed Forces.

“In compliance with the Federal Government’s seven-year moratorium on new tertiary institutions and in line with the directive of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Nigerian Defence Academy will establish the College within its existing university framework. The institution will be linked to accredited federal and military hospitals to guarantee strong clinical training partnerships.

“Clinical training will be anchored at designated military medical facilities, each structured to accommodate substantial student cohorts while maintaining quality and accreditation standards.

“Medical Cadets will gain admission to the College through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and, at the completion of the programme, will be commissioned as Captains, equipped with world-class medical expertise and the discipline, leadership and operational readiness required for military service,” it said.

The structure, according to the Ministry, is designed to enhance retention, reduce attrition and ensure a steady pipeline of commissioned medical officers within the Armed Forces.

A technical working group, comprising the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Defence Academy, Director-General of MODHIP, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the National Universities Commission, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the Chairman of the Committee of Provosts of Medical Schools, and representatives of the Armed Forces, has been constituted to ensure compliance and quality, with admissions expected to begin by October/November 2026.