The Federal Government has approved sweeping education reforms that include recognising medical fellowships as equivalent to PhD qualifications, restoring the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education to autonomous status, and imposing a six year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, announced the decisions while briefing State House correspondents after a Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On medical education, Alausa announced amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act, developed with the Attorney General, to eliminate barriers for super specialised doctors who have spent nearly 16 years in training but face obstacles when seeking professorship due to the absence of a traditional PhD.
"We need to remove the dichotomy of doctors who spent almost 16 years from medical school and their residency, and then doing their fellowship, becoming super specialized. The kind of degree we need in Nigeria today for doctors is MBBS, Master of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery," he explained.
The Minister stated that medical professionals in the sector have spent more time in specialised training than the average candidate spent getting a PhD, adding that after the executive bill is sent to the National Assembly, the National Postgraduate Medical College will now act as a PhD equivalent.
The Council also approved the restoration of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education as an autonomous body. The commission, which had earlier been downgraded to a department within the ministry at the start of the administration, will now regain its independent status.
Alausa said the upgrade was necessitated by President Tinubu's expansive agenda to educate more than 50 million young adults over the next two to three years and equip them with digital literacy skills.
He emphasised the urgency amid Nigeria's literacy crisis, stating, "Today, we have about 56 million illiterate Nigerians. We can't continue to have a high number of illiterate citizens."
The commission, established in 2013, will now intensify efforts in rural areas using radio, TV, public advocacy, and community schools.
In another major decision, the Council imposed a six year moratorium on establishing new universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to prioritise quality and sustainability.
"Today, access is not easy in the country. We have lots of tertiary institutions, both public and private. We need to help these private institutions be sustainable financially," Alausa stated, citing last year's JAMB, over 2.3 million applicants for fewer than 228,000 University spots in public institutions.
The fourth approval covers insurance for the 180 Federal Unity Schools, including engagement of underwriters for comprehensive and general coverage of critical assets.
The reforms signal the Federal Government's determination to address systemic challenges in Nigeria's education sector, from basic literacy to tertiary education quality, while recognising the expertise of highly trained medical professionals who have historically been disadvantaged by rigid academic qualification requirements.
