In a move to address the escalating exodus of Nigerian healthcare professionals popularly dubbed the “japa” wave, the Federal Government has launched a N110 billion intervention fund aimed at revitalising medical education infrastructure across the country.
Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on TETFund High Impact Intervention Projects in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the intervention would directly target the improvement of key medical schools nationwide.
Alausa explained that N70 billion out of the fund would be spent on upgrading teaching hospitals and medical colleges to meet international standards, while N15 billion is earmarked for the construction of new student hostels.
The minister also revealed that 76 tertiary institutions will receive cutting-edge medical simulation centres, and universities will be mandated to increase their medical admission quotas.
According to him, this is part of a comprehensive strategy to not only boost local healthcare delivery but to also position Nigeria as a training hub for global medical talent.
“We are training medical personnel not just for Nigeria, but for the world,” he stated. “President Bola Tinubu has given a clear mandate – increase medical student admissions and equip our institutions to reduce the push factors behind brain drain.”
The Minister emphasised that the initiative would be sustained over a five-year period, with the goal of rebuilding Nigeria’s medical education system and reversing the flight of doctors and healthcare workers abroad.
This intervention came amid mounting concerns over the neglect of Nigeria’s medical colleges, a factor widely blamed for the rising number of healthcare professionals leaving the country in search of better opportunities overseas.
Echoing these sentiments, the Chairman of the Board of TETFund and former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, criticised university leadership for contributing to the sector’s decline.
“Vice Chancellors have played a role in the decay of our university system,” Masari said. “If this kind of intervention is sustained over five years, the results will be unmistakable, more trained personnel for our communities and a workforce ready for the global stage.”
With over N110 billion committed, the government said it hopes to not only improve infrastructure but also restore confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare training institutions and ultimately slow down the japa trend that has drained the country of vital medical talent.
