The Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has urged the Federal Government to exclude its institutions from the recently announced seven-year suspension on the establishment of new polytechnics and allied institutions.
In a communiqué issued at the close of its 2025 Quadrennial Conference in Lokoja, the Provosts warned that applying the moratorium to health training institutions would worsen Nigeria’s healthcare manpower shortage. The statement, signed by the Association’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Nuhu Anyegwu, stressed that the restriction could “create an intergenerational gap of at least seven years in the supply of health and medical professionals to Nigerian communities.”
The Provosts argued that Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences are specialised professional institutions already accredited by regulatory councils and should not be lumped into the moratorium covering allied institutions.
While commending the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for digitising the accreditation process, the Association urged both the Ministry of Education and NBTE to end multiple accreditations by professional councils, describing the practice as cumbersome and unnecessary.
The conference also decried the continued exclusion of Health Colleges from TETFUND’s funding scheme and called for speedy passage of the TETFUND Act Amendment Bill to make them eligible beneficiaries.
During the conference, new officers were elected, with Dr. Johnson Adebayo Ojo and Malam Adamu Ahmadu emerging as Chairman and Secretary-General, respectively. The Association further resolved to launch a research journal and set up a Media Committee to enhance institutional visibility.
Highlighting Nigeria’s population of over 200 million, the Provosts stressed that expanding healthcare education is essential to reversing brain drain and improving access to medical services.
“The Federal Government must support the growth and development of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences if Nigeria’s healthcare needs are to be met,” the communiqué concluded.
