The Federal Government has invested N220 billion in medical education and training over the past two years as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare workforce and improve the quality of medical training nationwide.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Saturday at the maiden convocation ceremony of Miva Open University held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos.
The minister also announced plans to inject an additional N121 billion into the sector in 2026 to expand medical education infrastructure and increase the capacity of training institutions across the country.
According to Alausa, the investments are part of the education reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration aimed at producing more doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses and other healthcare professionals to address critical manpower shortages in the health sector.
“For medical school education alone, we spent N220 billion on medical education and training within the last two years,” the minister said.
He explained that the funding was deployed to upgrade infrastructure, construct modern medical simulation laboratories, rehabilitate medical schools and improve student accommodation facilities.
“This investment covered infrastructure upgrades, the construction of medical simulation laboratories, and the rehabilitation of medical schools and hostels. It represents one of the largest targeted investments in medical education in Nigeria’s history,” he stated.
Providing a breakdown of the expenditure, Alausa revealed that N72 billion was allocated to 18 medical schools, with each institution receiving N4 billion for infrastructure development.
In addition, each of the 18 institutions received N1.5 billion for hostel construction and rehabilitation to improve student welfare and learning conditions.
The minister further disclosed that the government invested N40 billion in the establishment of eight state-of-the-art medical simulation laboratories strategically located across the six geopolitical zones of the country, with each facility costing approximately N5 billion.
Looking ahead, Alausa said the Federal Government would sustain the momentum in 2026 with fresh investments targeted at expanding training capacity and improving facilities.
“Following up on our 2025 spending, in 2026, we will spend another N121 billion on six additional medical schools, N10 billion for hostels, N24 billion to expand these medical schools, and N56 billion to equip 21 new medical schools across the country,” he said.
“Our responsibility is clear: to train more doctors, pharmacists, dentists and nurses, and ultimately strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system through quality education.”
The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to address the accommodation deficit in tertiary institutions through a N250 billion student housing intervention programme.
Under the initiative, 90 tertiary institutions will receive N2 billion each to construct 500-bed hostels, while others will access up to N4 billion through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements to develop between 1,200 and 1,500 bed spaces.
“For the first time in decades, the Federal Government is directly confronting the severe shortage of student accommodation across tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he said.
Alausa also disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed approximately N300 billion within two years, providing financial support and access to higher education for more than 1.7 million students nationwide.
In addition, he announced the introduction of the Student Venture Capital Grant Initiative, a programme designed to support innovation, entrepreneurship and business incubation among students.
Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries can access up to N50 million in equity-free grants to develop innovative ideas and sustainable enterprises.
Addressing graduating students, the minister urged them to embrace innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship, stressing that they have a vital role to play in shaping Nigeria’s future.
“Do not wait for the future to approach you. Create it. Do not wait for opportunities. Build them. Do not wait for change. Be the agents of change,” he charged.
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