The Federal Government has announced plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences (AFCOM&HS) to enhance military medical readiness and expand Nigeria’s healthcare training capacity.
The initiative was endorsed at a high-level meeting attended by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmed, Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa, and other senior officials across defence, health, and education sectors.
Positioned under the NESRI 6-Point Agenda, the college will train doctors, trauma surgeons, emergency medics, public health experts, and disaster response professionals for the Armed Forces. The Minister of Education noted Nigeria’s medical workforce deficit, with only 189 doctors in the Defence Forces and a national shortfall of about 340,000.
The college will be established within the existing framework of the Nigerian Defence Academy, leveraging accredited military hospitals for clinical training. Admissions will be conducted through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and graduates will be commissioned as captains in the Armed Forces, combining medical expertise with military leadership and operational readiness.
A Technical Working Group has been formed to ensure regulatory compliance, comprising representatives from federal ministries, regulatory councils, JAMB, medical school provosts, and the Armed Forces. Admissions are expected to commence by October or November 2026.
Officials described AFCOM&HS as a strategic investment in health security, defence personnel welfare, and long-term medical workforce development. Beyond meeting domestic needs, the college is expected to position Nigeria as a regional hub for military medical training in West Africa.
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