The National Universities Commission (NUC) has formally recognised the Jigawa State University of Medical and Allied Sciences, bringing the total number of Nigeria’s State Owned universities to 70.
Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu in his address at the university’s recognition ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, informed that the institution would expand access to quality medical education and address healthcare workforce shortages.
TheFact Daily noted that this was the first time a state government was acquiring an existing private university and converting it into a public institution.
Abdullahi maintained that more specialised institutions were needed to meet growing demand for healthcare services as the nation grapple with the brain drain in its health sector.
“This recognition is significant not just for Jigawa but for the entire university system. Nigeria is grappling with a shortage of healthcare workers and the problem is being worsened by the exit of doctors and other professionals,” he said.
He commended the Jigawa government for collaborating with the NUC throughout the process to meet all regulatory requirements.
Ribadu added that the commission would notify key agencies including JAMB, TETFund, NYSC and NELFund about the university’s new status so that students can access government support schemes such as student loans.
The NUC boss urged the state to ensure adequate and consistent funding for both the new medical university and Sule Lamido University.
He also advised the management of the new institution to keep academic activities running smoothly and to safeguard the rights of staff and students during the transition.
According to him, the university will continue to run its current non-medical courses until the students on those programmes graduate. Subsequently, those courses would be phased out for solely medical and allied health -related courses.
Ribadu announced that starting from the 2027 academic session, the university plans to roll out new programmes in Anatomy, Physiology, Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Radiography and Health Information Management.
He said these would take off after the NUC completes resource verification and confirms compliance with academic standards.
He also disclosed that with the addition of new institutions, Nigeria now has 328 universities in total.
In his response, Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, said the decision to acquire the private university was driven by the need to build local capacity for training health workers.
He explained that the state currently sponsors about 200 medical students abroad, but the plan was to train future doctors at home once those abroad complete their studies.
“The students abroad will finish first. After that, we will stop sending them overseas and train them here. Our goal is to produce doctors who meet international standards,” Namadi said.
The governor described the new university as a specialised centre for medical and allied health training that will serve Jigawa and the country at large.
He thanked the NUC for its support and promised that the state would provide the necessary resources to make the institution a centre of excellence. He also pledged continued support for Sule Lamido University.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the development as timely and in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand access to education and strengthen healthcare delivery.
She therefore urged the university to focus on quality training, research and community service that directly address Nigeria’s health challenges, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to work with states investing in the education and health sector.
