The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has approved an increase in the University of Abuja’s (UniAbuja) admission quota for its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme — raising the number from 75 to 200 students.
The announcement was made on Friday during a visit to the university’s main campus by MDCN Registrar, Professor Fatima Kyari, following a comprehensive re-accreditation exercise carried out by a 17-member MDCN team.
According to a statement signed on Saturday by the university’s Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, the decision followed what was described as a rigorous and objective assessment of the institution’s facilities, personnel, and training capacity.
Professor Kyari commended the university’s strides in improving its infrastructure and training environment but emphasized the need for continued investment in critical areas such as faculty capacity, pathology laboratories, transportation, and clinical skills support.
“When we talk about quota, we are referring to the resource-based carrying capacity. The members of this re-accreditation team are carefully selected professionals, and their assessments were objective, thorough, and constructive.
“Now, let me put it in perspective: for a quota of 150, you need 450 bed spaces for clinical students, and you currently have 360. For 200, you need 600. But we want to align with your growth aspirations. The nation needs more doctors. Abuja is the centre; it should rise to the occasion. So, we are giving you 200,” she said.
Kyari added that the Council would maintain oversight to ensure continuous compliance with standards, while also offering support to strengthen the university’s capacity.
“We are not just here to point out what you have or what is lacking,” she said. “We are here to encourage the University to keep working toward meeting all requirements.”
She noted that the quota upgrade aligns with the federal government’s wider efforts to address the country’s shortage of healthcare professionals and expand access to medical education.
“The Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare has laid out a bold, four-point agenda under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). At the heart of this is the need to strengthen our healthcare workforce, from training to retention, as the engine for achieving universal health coverage and improved health outcomes for all Nigerians.
“Our task was guided by existing standards, including infrastructure adequacy, faculty strength, student-to-resource ratio, clinical training exposure, and the overall governance structure of the medical school. We also recognise the Presidential vision and the current national imperative to scale up training in response to health workforce shortages, but this must be done in a manner that safeguards patient safety and professional competence,” she stated.
In her response, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Patricia Manko Lar, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the MDCN for its support and transparent assessment process.
“The joy we feel regarding this announcement is boundless. We opened all our doors, there was no cover-up. We did our best, and the constructive feedback from the MDCN will push us to aim even higher.
“We have been working tirelessly to grow this University and ensure our College of Health Sciences meets global standards. I am proud to be leading the University at this critical moment. Even if I am no longer in office when my tenure is completed, I am confident that a solid foundation has been laid, and progress will continue,” she said.