The Federal Government has concluded plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences (AFCOM&HS) as part of efforts to strengthen military medical readiness and expand Nigeria’s healthcare training capacity.
The decision was firmed up at a high-level meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa; Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmed; Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa; and Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, alongside key stakeholders from the defence, health and education sectors.
The proposed college, positioned under the NESRI 6-Point Agenda with emphasis on STEMM education, is designed to produce combat casualty-trained doctors, trauma surgeons, emergency response medics, military public health experts and other allied health professionals for the Armed Forces.
Speaking at the meeting, the Education Minister revealed that only 189 medical doctors currently serve within Nigeria’s Defence Forces, while the country faces a national shortfall of about 340,000 doctors for a population exceeding 240 million.
He noted that annual medical school admissions have been increased from about 5,000 to nearly 10,000, with plans to scale up to approximately 19,000 annually. The Armed Forces College, he said, will play a critical role in this expansion.
In line with the Federal Government’s seven-year moratorium on new tertiary institutions and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, the college will operate within the existing structure of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). Accredited federal and military hospitals will provide clinical training.
Admissions will be conducted through JAMB, and graduates will be commissioned as captains in the Armed Forces upon completion of their training.
A Technical Working Group comprising representatives from relevant ministries, regulatory councils and the Armed Forces has been constituted to finalise processes for the college to begin admissions by October or November 2026.
Officials described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s health security, defence welfare and long-term medical workforce development, with potential to position the country as a regional hub for military medical training in West Africa.
