In a bid to address the critical shortage of healthcare workers in Nigeria arising from mass exodus of professionals, the federal government has increased the quota of admission into the Medical Schools in Nigeria by 100 percent.
This means accredited medical schools will henceforth admit double the number of students it hitherto admits in 2024 in order to increase the number of medical and dental graduates in the country.
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This was contained in a letter from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and addressed to the Secretary General , Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Univeristies. The letter with the reference number MDCN/1018/vol.1 and dated January 22, 2024 was signed by T.A.B Sanusi, the Registrar, MDCN and seen by BusinessDay.
The approval is for 41 fully accredited medical schools and 7 partially accredited medical schools. This means 9610 students will now be admitted against 4805 across the schools.
The letter titled: RE: Ministerial Initiatives Toward Increasing The Production of The Human Resources For Health In Nigeria’ read, “Further to our recent Letter on this subject with Ref. No. MDCN/ 1018/Vol. I dated 2nd January 2024, I wish to inform you of the Presidential directive through the Minister of State for Health of the approval for the increment of the Quota of admission into the Medical Schools in Nigeria by 100 percent.”
It noted that the approval is in line with the vision of the Federal Ministry of Health for the implementation of the Renewed Hope Aganda for the health sector.
The Council however warned that in the process of actual implementation, standards should not be compromised, and medical schools must keep it informed for proper documentation and indexing.
“You can approach the Council for further clarification if necessary. I wish to appreciate you for your immense support for the Colleges of Medicine across the Country. Kindly accept the assurances of my esteemed regards”, the letter read.
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The mass exodus of doctors and health workers in other specialties has left Nigeria grappling with a shortage of manpower. Over 5,000 medical doctors in Nigeria have migrated to the UK, the US, United Arab Emirates and other African countries kn five years ,the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors revealed in 2023.
The association said only a few over 9,000 medical doctors are left with the Nigerian, when though the country needs more than 300,000.
To address this, Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, had in October, 2023 announced plans to increase the medical and dental doctors from 5,000 to 10,000 from the next academic year by increasing admission into the medical and dental institutions.
The minister who spoke during the induction ceremony of foreign-trained medical and dental graduates by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, in Abuja decried that the just over 3,000 doctors produced annually in Nigeria remain grossly inadequate, hence, the need to double the rate of production of health workers.
The minister also hinted at plans to expand the initiative to all other health professionals like pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, community health extension workers, radiographers, and others.
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The new approval for fully accredited schools are as follows:
1. College of Health Sciences, Abia State University Uturu,Abia State, from 120 to 240
2. College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Akwalbom. 150 to 300
3. College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe UniversityNnewi, Anambra State. 100 to 200
4. College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri,Borno State. 150 to 300
5. College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Cross -Rivers State. 150 to 300
6. College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka,Delta State. 120 to 240
7. College of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State UniversityAbakaliki, Ebonyi State. 100 to 200
8. College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin-City, Edo State. 150 to 300
9. College of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada,Edo State. 120 to 240
10. College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma,Edo State. 50 to 100
11. College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus,Enugu State. 180 to 360
12. College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Scienceand Technology, Enugu, 120 to 240
13. College of Medicine, Imo State University Owerri, ImoState. 50 to 100
14. College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello UniversityZaria, Kaduna State. 180 to 360
15. College of Medicine, Bayero University Kano, Kano State. 150 to 300
16. College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, KwaraState. 150 to 300
17. College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, LagosState. 150 to 300
18. College of Medicine, Lagos State University Ikeja, LagosState. 100 to 200
19. Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, OlabisiOnabanjo University Ago 75 to 150
20. College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo Universitylle-Ife, Osun State 100 to 200
21. College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Oyo State. 180 t0 360
22.College of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, PlateauState. 150 to 300
23. College of Health Sciences, Madonna University Elele,Rivers State 120 to 240
24. College of Health Sciences, University of Port-Harcourt,Rivers State 150 to 300
25. College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo UniversitySokoto, Sokoto State. 150 to 300
26. College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Osun State 120 to 240
27. College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, 50 to 100
28. Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State 50 to 100
29. College of Health Sciences, Bingham University Karu, Nasarawa State. 100 to 200
29. College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State 150 to 300
30. College of Medicine, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OjukwuUniversity, Awka, Anambra State. 120 to 240
31. College of Health Sciences, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State 100 to 200
32. College of Health Sciences, Babcock University, Ilishan- 120 to 240
33. College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja 75 to-150
34. College of Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State 200 to 400
35. College of Medicine, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti 50 to 100
36. College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, 70 to140
37. College of Medical Sciences, Gombe State University 60 to120
38. University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State 100 to 200
39. College of Medicine & Health Sciences, GregoryUniversity, Uturu, Abia, 75 to150
State 100
40. College of Medicine, Edo University, Iyamho, Edo State 100 to 200
41. College of Health Sciences, Nile University, Abuja , 100 to 200
For partially accredited medical schools
1. College of Health Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa BalewaUniversity Bauchi, 60 to 120
Bauchi State.
2. Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port-Harcourt 100 to 200
3. College of Medical Sciences, Rivers State University Port-Harcourt 200 to 400
4. Eko University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ijanikin,Lagos 50 to 100
5. College of Medicine and Allied Health Professions, FederalUniversity, Dutse, Jigawa 50 to 100
State
6. College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo,Osun State 100 to 200
7. College of Medicine, Alex Ekwuerne Federal University,Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi 50 to 100.
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