Tinubu, Alausa Unveil Plan for Six World-Class Medical Simulation Centres

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish six world-class medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to strengthen practical training for students in the healthcare professions.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Medical Simulation Committee, describing the initiative as a major investment in the quality of healthcare education.

The proposed centres are expected to provide modern facilities for practical training in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and other allied health professions.

Alausa said the initiative was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s determination to expand Nigeria’s healthcare workforce while ensuring that students receive the quality of training required to meet the country’s healthcare needs.

The minister said the need for improved practical training had become more urgent following the substantial increase in admission and enrolment into health-related programmes across the country.

“I would like to thank the members of the committee that has worked so hard and assiduously to get us to this point in which we are now talking about building several simulation centres across the country to provide world-class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals,” Alausa said.

According to him, nursing enrolment has risen dramatically in the past three years, from about 38,000 students to more than 120,000 across nursing schools in the country.

He also disclosed that annual admission into medical schools had increased from about 5,000 students at the beginning of the Tinubu administration to almost 12,000 currently.

The government, he said, was targeting a further increase to about 20,000 medical students admitted annually within the next three years.

“Today, I’m happy to report that we’re admitting almost 12,000 students primarily now. Our goal in the next three years will increase the number of annual medical student enrollment in medical school to about 20,000,” he said.

Alausa added that the number of students admitted into pharmacy and dental programmes had also doubled, further expanding the number of young Nigerians undergoing professional healthcare training.

The rising enrolment, he explained, made it necessary for the government to simultaneously expand training infrastructure so that the increase in the number of students would not compromise the quality of education.

Medical simulation centres are designed to allow students to develop clinical and practical skills in controlled environments before treating patients directly. The planned facilities are therefore expected to give students greater opportunities to practise procedures and respond to simulated clinical situations.

The minister commended the chairman of the Medical Simulation Committee, Dr. Wale Suleiman, and other members for their work in producing the report and advancing the proposed project.

He also acknowledged the contributions of professional regulatory and academic institutions involved in the process, including the Medical and Dental Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and the University of Abuja Medical School.

Alausa said the project was another demonstration of Tinubu’s commitment to improving the quality of education and building the human capital required for Nigeria’s development.

He said the administration was already beginning to see the impact of its investments and reforms in education, particularly in areas linked to professional training and workforce development.

“This person, President Bola, is committed to providing the best and the highest quality of education to every child in this country,” he said.

The minister added that the progress being recorded in healthcare education was a manifestation of the President’s commitment to the country’s future.

“We are seeing it, we are seeing the result now. It’s another manifestation of President Bola’s fervent and benevolent belief to the progress and benefit of the future of Nigeria,” he said.

The Federal Government is expected to work with TETFund and relevant professional bodies to advance the development of the six centres, which will be strategically located to serve students and institutions within the respective geopolitical zones.

The project is also expected to complement the administration’s efforts to increase the supply of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other allied health professionals amid growing demand for healthcare services.

With the planned increase in medical admissions to 20,000 annually, the government faces the parallel challenge of ensuring that universities and other health training institutions have adequate lecturers, clinical facilities and other resources to accommodate the growing student population.

The proposed simulation centres are expected to form part of the response, providing additional platforms for students to acquire practical competencies while reducing pressure on conventional clinical training environments.

Alausa assured that the Tinubu administration would continue to support the expansion of healthcare education and the development of facilities capable of producing highly skilled professionals for Nigeria and beyond.