Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has urged the Federal Government to exempt health institutions from the recently announced seven-year suspension on the creation of new polytechnics and allied institutions.
In a communique issued at the end of its 2025 Quadrennial Conference in Abujat on Thursday by Public Relations Officer, Dr Nuhu Anyegwu, the Provosts warned that the decision could worsen Nigeria’s health workforce crisis.
“The ban will create an intergenerational gap of at least seven years in the training of health and medical manpower across communities,” the association stated.
Delegates argued that health colleges should not be classified as allied institutions but as specialised schools vital to national health security. They urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to exclude them from the moratorium, citing their prior approval by professional health councils.
The communique also condemned the exclusion of health colleges from the TETFund schedule, stressing that sustainable funding is necessary to strengthen healthcare education. “The amendment of the TETFund Act is overdue and crucial for colleges of health and nursing sciences to fulfil their mandate,” it added.
The provosts welcomed NBTE’s reforms to simplify and digitalise accreditation but called for an end to multiple accreditations by professional councils. They also resolved to launch a research journal and a media committee to expand visibility.
The conference re-elected Dr Johnson Ojo as chairman and Adamu Ahmadu as secretary general.
With Nigeria’s population surpassing 200 million, the provosts warned that failing to expand training for skilled health workers would deepen shortages and weaken the nation’s ability to meet healthcare needs.
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
