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The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled 13 projects at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), Bauchi State, to strengthen medical education, research and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Friday during the commissioning of the projects, describing the investment as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding the country’s capacity for world-class medical education and producing the skilled health professionals required to improve healthcare delivery.
Echono commended the university’s Governing Council, Senate, management and staff for their contributions to its rapid development since its establishment in 2021.
He said FUHSA’s progress demonstrated what purposeful investment, strategic planning and sustained national commitment could achieve in specialised medical education.
According to him, TETFund has provided dedicated funding for infrastructure, academic development, research facilities and institutional expansion to enable the university to fulfil its mandate.
The executive secretary also urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the migration of medical professionals abroad, popularly known as the “japa” syndrome, arguing that the country should focus on expanding its capacity to train more healthcare personnel.
“I’m one of those who hold the view that we should not worry about what many call the japa syndrome. What we need to do is to intensify our investment, as we invest to produce more medical and health personnel, some will go out of this country as part of our exports,” he said.
He added that the economic value of exporting skilled professionals could surpass that of exporting raw natural resources.
“And I can assure you the value of those exports are higher than the natural resources that we are exporting in crude form,” Echono said.
He noted that Nigerian medical professionals were highly valued internationally and could contribute to national development through remittances, knowledge transfer and eventual return to the country.
Echono further stated that institutions that utilised their allocations effectively and completed projects according to schedule deserved additional support to sustain their development.
The 13 commissioned projects include modern laboratories, lecture theatres, student hostels, research centres and other critical infrastructure designed to improve teaching, learning and research.
He said the facilities would provide conducive learning environments for future doctors, biomedical scientists, nurses, pharmacists, public health experts and other health professionals.
The TETFund boss recalled that the Federal Government decided in 2021 to establish six specialised federal universities of health sciences, one in each geopolitical zone, to address shortages of healthcare professionals and strengthen medical training.
He explained that the initiative followed the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to improve Nigeria’s medical research capacity and preparedness for future health emergencies.
Echono also disclosed that TETFund’s board had endorsed and recommended contracts for the establishment of eight medical simulation centres nationwide to the Federal Executive Council for consideration.
According to him, FUHSA is among the beneficiary institutions, with the projects expected to commence in 2026 and equipment installation planned for 2027.
He commended the Bauchi State Government and residents of Azare for supporting the establishment and development of the university, noting that the state’s cooperation had facilitated the process of securing a suitable location for the institution.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUHSA, Prof. Bala Audu, said the university had depended significantly on TETFund for infrastructure development and equipment procurement since its establishment.
Audu described the commissioned Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences building as one of the institution’s major infrastructure projects.
He explained that the building housed five departments, lecture rooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, academic offices and a lecture theatre, providing essential facilities for teaching and research.
However, the vice-chancellor said the university required further interventions to develop its Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Sciences and expand its capacity to train more healthcare professionals.
He said the request was necessary in view of the Federal Government’s policy to increase the number of health professionals trained in the country.
According to him, additional facilities would enable FUHSA to produce more medical personnel and contribute more effectively to addressing Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortages.
“The investment that the Federal Government has made in this institution and indeed all the specialised Federal Universities of Health Sciences is to produce the desired manpower for health,” Audu said.
He added that Nigerian-trained health professionals served healthcare systems across the world, underscoring the need for sustained investment in local training institutions.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Samuel Adejare, said FUHSA had recorded remarkable progress and was among the specialised federal universities already graduating students.
Adejare praised the vice-chancellor and management for their commitment to institutional development, adding that the governing council had maintained a cooperative relationship with the university’s administration.
He, however, appealed for additional government support to construct larger hostels for male and female students, stressing that adequate accommodation remained one of the institution’s pressing infrastructure needs.
The stakeholders expressed optimism that continued investment in specialised medical education would strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare workforce, expand research capacity and improve the country’s ability to respond to present and future public health challenges.
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