The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has commissioned 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 during the commissioning ceremony at the university.
He said the projects demonstrated the Nigerian Government’s commitment to expanding the country’s capacity for world-class medical education and producing skilled health professionals.
Echono commended the university’s governing council, Senate, management and staff for the institution’s rapid development since its establishment in 2021.
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He said FUHSA’s progress reflected the impact of purposeful investment, strategic planning and sustained national commitment to specialised medical education.
According to him, TETFund has provided dedicated funding for infrastructure, academic development, research facilities and institutional growth at the university.
On the migration of Nigerian medical professionals abroad, popularly known as the “japa” syndrome, Echono urged the country to focus on expanding the training of health workers rather than becoming discouraged by their movement overseas.
“I’m one of those who hold the view that we should not worry about what many call the japa syndrome,” he said.
Investment in Training
He stated that increased investment in training medical and health professionals would enable Nigeria to meet domestic needs while benefiting from the expertise of those working internationally.
“And I can assure you the value of those exports are higher than the natural resources that we are exporting in crude form,” he said.
Echono noted that Nigerian medical professionals were highly valued internationally and could contribute to national development through remittances, knowledge transfer and their eventual return to the country.
He also said institutions that effectively utilised their allocations and completed projects on schedule deserved further support.
The Projects
The commissioned projects include modern laboratories, lecture theatres, student hostels, research centres and other essential infrastructure designed to improve the training of doctors, biomedical scientists, nurses, pharmacists, public health experts and other health professionals.
The TETFund chief executive recalled that the Nigerian Government approved the establishment of six specialised federal universities of health sciences in 2021, with one located in each geopolitical zone, to address shortages of trained healthcare professionals.
He said the initiative followed lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to strengthen medical research, healthcare workforce development and preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Echono further disclosed that TETFund’s board had endorsed and recommended contracts for establishing eight medical simulation centres nationwide to the Federal Executive Council.
He said FUHSA was among the beneficiary institutions, and that implementation was expected to begin in 2026, while the installation of equipment was planned for 2027.
He commended the Bauchi State Government and residents of Azare for supporting the university’s establishment, particularly through cooperation in securing a suitable location for the institution.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUHSA, Professor Bala Audu, said the university had depended significantly on TETFund for infrastructure and equipment since its establishment.
Audu described the commissioned Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences building as one of the institution’s major infrastructure investments.
He said the facility housed five departments, lecture rooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, academic offices and a lecture theatre.
Additional Interventions
However, the vice-chancellor called for additional interventions to develop the Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Sciences, noting that expanded facilities would enable the university to increase its capacity to train health professionals.
He said the request aligned with the Nigerian Government’s policy of increasing the number of trained health workers to address the country’s 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 both domestic and international healthcare systems, underscoring the need to expand training capacity.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Samuel Adejare, said FUHSA had recorded significant progress and was among the specialised federal universities already graduating students.
Adejare praised the vice-chancellor and management for their commitment to institutional development, noting that the governing council had maintained a cooperative relationship with the university’s leadership.
He also appealed for additional support to construct larger hostels for male and female students, saying improved accommodation would help address some of the institution’s pressing infrastructure challenges.
