To address the growing shortage of healthcare professionals in Nigeria, the Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences has urged the Federal Government to exempt their institutions from the seven-year ban on establishing new polytechnics and allied institutions.

The association made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of the 2025 Quadrennial Conference in Abuja, made available to journalists by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Nuhu Anyegwu.

The provosts said the ban will create an intergenerational gap of at least seven years in terms of shortage of health and medical manpower in various communities in Nigeria.

The conference, which brought together provosts from across the country, expressed concern that the ban would exacerbate the brain drain syndrome that has plagued the nation’s healthcare sector for decades.

The provosts emphasised that Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences are not referenced as allied institutions and should be exempted from the ban.

They further resolved to engage the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to exempt Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences from the ban, citing their prior approval and accreditation by Professional Health and Medical Councils or Boards.

The provosts also appreciated the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for removing cumbersome and rigid measures in the accreditation process and digitising the accreditation process.

They also appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to put an end to multiple accreditations by professional health and medical councils or boards.

The conference noted with deep concern the undesirable exclusion of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences from TETFUND’s funding schedule.

They urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NBTE to support the TETFUND Act Amendment Bill to provide for the inclusion of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences in TETFUND’s funding schedule.

The association also re-elected its officers and filled vacant posts in line with the new constitution. As a result, Dr. Johnson Adebayo Ojo and Malam Adamu Ahmadu emerged as Chairman and Secretary General respectively.

The communiqué highlighted the need for the Federal Government to support the growth and development of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences to address the healthcare needs of Nigerians.