Oluwafunbi Bello 
Education Minister Tunji Alausa during ASUU agreement signing
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government unveils plans to establish an Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences to address Nigeria’s severe shortage of doctors while strengthening healthcare delivery within the military.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa announces the plan in Abuja in a statement on Saturday after a high-level meeting with Defence Minister Christopher Musa (rtd) and senior officials, confirming that admissions are targeted for October or November 2026.
Nigeria faces an estimated deficit of 340,000 doctors for a population exceeding 240 million, a shortfall the minister describes as unsustainable. The proposed college, to operate under the Nigerian Defence Academy, is designed to train military doctors while contributing to the civilian workforce.
“This institution will help close critical gaps in both military and national healthcare,” Alausa says.
The college, to be located in Lagos State, will run an eight-year programme comprising six years of academic training, one year of military instruction and one year of housemanship.
Clinical training will take place at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and the 661 Nigerian Air Force Hospital in Lagos.
Alausa says annual medical admissions have already doubled from about 5,000 to nearly 10,000, with plans to reach 19,000 admissions yearly, positioning the new college as a cornerstone of the expansion.
To comply with a federal moratorium on new tertiary institutions, the college will operate within the existing NDA structure rather than as a standalone university.
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