By Joy Odor
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health workforce through strategic public-private partnerships.
This is even as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Achievers University, Owo, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo, Ondo State.
The MoU allows Achievers University to utilize facilities at FMC Owo for the clinical training of its medical, nursing, and allied health students.
The agreement aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed health agenda, which prioritizes collaboration between the public and private sectors to bridge the critical shortage of health workers in the country.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja On Thursday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the partnership as timely and strategic.
The Minister emphasized that expanding the training space for healthcare professionals is vital, especially as many trained health workers continue to migrate abroad in large numbers.
According to the Minister, the government is exploring mechanisms to convert the growing health workforce migration trend into an opportunity, where destination countries are expected to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s health system.
“This MoU exemplifies the vision of Mr. President to harness the potential of private investments in education and health, and to create synergies that will ultimately benefit Nigerians.
“We recognize the significant role private institutions like Achievers University are playing in addressing human resource challenges in our health sector,” Dr. Salako said.
Dr. Salako also commended Achievers University’s resilience and vision in establishing a thriving educational institution that now offers fully accredited programmes in medicine, nursing, medical laboratory sciences, and other fields.
In his address, the Founder and Pro-Chancellor of Achievers University, Prof. Bode Ayorinde, stated that the agreement is a promise to raise the bar in medical training and ensure quality education for students.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Health for its credibility and professionalism in securing the MoU without political influence.
“In the last nine months, from submitting our proposal to securing approval, we never had to use political influence. Everything followed due process. This speaks volumes about the credibility and professionalism of the Federal Ministry of Health,” he said.
“Today’s agreement is not just a document; it is a promise. A promise to raise the bar in medical training. We’re already building beyond the regulatory requirements to ensure quality education for our students,” he said.
The Medical Director of FMC Owo, Dr. Hamed Liasu in his remark, affirmed the hospital’s resourcefulness to execute the MoU successfully and collaborate with Achievers University to train its undergraduate students.
“Federal Medical Centre, Owo will collaborate with Achievers University to train it’s undergraduate students in Medical Laboratory and Nursing Sciences. The University is also interested in upgrading the hospital to a Teaching hospital for its use to train it’s Medical, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy students”.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed by the Director Hospital Services Department Dr. Salaudeen Jimoh, Director, key officials of the Ministry, management team from Achievers University and, Federal Medical Centre Owo Ondo State.
