The Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has appealed to the Federal Government to exempt their institutions from the recently imposed seven-year moratorium on new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
In a communiqué issued after its 2025 Quadrennial Conference in Abuja, and released in Lokoja by the group’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Nuhu Anyegwu, the Provosts warned that the ban could worsen Nigeria’s shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Nursing Workforce at Risk
According to the Provosts, the restriction could create an “intergenerational gap” in the training of nurses and allied health workers, further straining Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system and intensifying the ongoing brain drain.
They stressed that Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences are specialized institutions, distinct from those covered by the ban, and already accredited by professional councils to train frontline health professionals.
Call for Inclusion in TETFund
The communiqué also raised concerns about exclusion from TETFund’s funding schedule, calling for amendments to ensure Nursing and Health Colleges benefit from infrastructure and research support. They urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NBTE to stop the burden of multiple accreditations from overlapping regulatory bodies.
Leadership Renewal
The conference re-elected its executives, with Dr. Johnson Adebayo Ojo as Chairman and Malam Adamu Ahmadu as Secretary-General. The association also resolved to launch a research journal and establish a media committee for visibility and advocacy.
The Bigger Picture
With Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million, the Provosts emphasized that strengthening nursing and health colleges is key to tackling the workforce shortage, reducing preventable deaths, and sustaining Universal Health Coverage goals.
Federal Government’s Position
The Federal Government announced the moratorium on August 14, citing concerns over under-utilised institutions, stretched resources, and declining academic quality.
The Provosts, however, insist that excluding nursing and health colleges from the freeze is critical for the country’s health security and the training of the next generation of nurses and medical professionals.
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