NUC Approves Jigawa Medical Varsity To Address Doctor Shortage

The National Universities Commission(NUC) has formally recognised the Jigawa State University of Medical and Allied Sciences, making it Nigeria’s 70th state-owned university.

Speaking at the recognition ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said the development would expand access to quality medical education and address healthcare workforce shortages.

The recognition also represents the first instance of a state government acquiring an existing private university and converting it into a public institution within Nigeria’s university system.

He noted that Nigeria continues to lose medical personnel to migration, and that more specialised institutions are needed to meet growing demand for healthcare services.

“This recognition is significant not just for Jigawa but for the entire university system. Nigeria is grappling with a shortage of healthcare workers and the problem is being worsened by the exit of doctors and other professionals,” Ribadu said.

He commended the Jigawa government for collaborating with the NUC throughout the process to meet all regulatory requirements.

Ribadu added that the commission would notify key agencies including JAMB, TETFund, NYSC and NELFund about the university’s new status so that students can access government support schemes such as student loans.

The NUC boss urged the state to ensure adequate and consistent funding for both the new medical university and Sule Lamido University.

He also advised the management of the new institution to keep academic activities running smoothly and to safeguard the rights of staff and students during the transition.

According to him, the university will continue to run its current non-medical courses until the students on those programmes graduate.

He added that afterwards, the school will phase out those courses and focus solely on medical and allied health training in line with its mandate.

Ribadu noted that starting from the 2027 academic session, the university plans to roll out new programmes in Anatomy, Physiology, Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Radiography and Health Information Management.
He said these would take off after the NUC completes resource verification and confirms compliance with academic standards.

He also disclosed that with the addition of new institutions, Nigeria now has 328 universities in total.

Also speaking, Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, said the decision to acquire the private university was driven by the need to build local capacity for training health workers.

He explained that the state currently sponsors about 200 medical students abroad, but the plan is to train future doctors at home once those abroad complete their studies.

“The students abroad will finish first. After that, we will stop sending them overseas and train them here. Our goal is to produce doctors who meet international standards,” Namadi said.

The governor described the new university as a specialised centre for medical and allied health training that will serve Jigawa and the country at large.

He thanked the NUC for its support and promised that the state would provide the necessary resources to make the institution a centre of excellence. He also pledged continued support for Sule Lamido University.

On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the development as timely and in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand access to education and strengthen healthcare delivery.

She urged the university to focus on quality training, research and community service that directly address Nigeria’s health challenges, and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to work with states investing in education and health through the NUC and other partners.