The Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has called on the Federal Government to exempt their institutions from the 7-year ban on the establishment of new polytechnics and allied institutions, warning that the policy could deepen the shortage of healthcare professionals in Nigeria.
The appeal was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Association’s 2025 Quadrennial Conference, held in Lokoja, and made available to journalists on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Nuhu Anyegwu.
The Provosts expressed concern that the ban would create an intergenerational gap of at least seven years in the production of health and medical manpower, worsening the already critical brain drain affecting the country’s healthcare system.
They stressed that Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences should not be classified as allied institutions and therefore ought to be exempted from the ban.
The communiqué appreciated the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for simplifying and digitalizing the accreditation process, but urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NBTE to formally exempt their colleges from the ban, noting that these institutions already undergo rigorous approval and accreditation by relevant professional health councils and boards.
The Provosts further appealed to the Ministry of Education to end the practice of multiple accreditations by different professional bodies, describing it as burdensome.
They also expressed deep concern over the exclusion of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) funding schedule. They urged the Ministry of Education and NBTE to support the amendment of the TETFUND Act to include their institutions in the funding framework.
During the conference, the Association re-elected its officers and filled vacant positions in line with its new constitution. Dr. Johnson Adebayo Ojo and Malam Adamu Ahmadu emerged as Chairman and Secretary-General, respectively.
The Provosts also resolved to establish a journal to promote the publication of research works and set up a Media Committee to enhance the visibility of the Association’s activities.
With Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million, the communiqué underscored the urgent need to strengthen healthcare education and training to meet growing demand. The Provosts urged the Federal Government to support the growth and development of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences to help close the country’s widening healthcare manpower gap.
