By Ngozi Nwankwo
National Universities Commission, NUC, has formally recognised the Jigawa State University of Medical and Allied Sciences, pushing the number of state-owned universities in Nigeria to 70.
The recognition, announced on Thursday in Abuja, makes the Jigawa institution the first in Nigeria to be converted from an existing private university to a state-owned public university.
NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, said the new university will help expand access to quality medical training and address the country’s worsening shortage of health workers.
“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,” Ribadu said.
He noted that Nigeria now has 328 universities in total following the addition of new institutions.
Ribadu said the Commission would notify JAMB, TETFund, NYSC and NELFund of the new status to enable students of the university to access federal support schemes including student loans.
He urged the Jigawa government to provide adequate and consistent funding for the new medical university and for Sule Lamido University. He also advised the management to ensure academic stability and protect the rights of staff and students during the transition.
According to him, the university will continue running its current non-medical programmes until existing students graduate. The courses will then be phased out.
From the 2027 academic session, the institution plans to introduce programmes in Anatomy, Physiology, Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Radiography and Health Information Management, subject to NUC resource verification.
Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, said the acquisition was aimed at building local capacity for training health workers.
He disclosed that the state currently sponsors about 200 medical students abroad, but will shift to domestic training once they graduate.
“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.
He described the university as a specialised centre for medical and allied health training to serve Jigawa and Nigeria.
Speaking also, 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 urged the university to focus on quality training, research and community service that directly address Nigeria’s health challenges.
