The Federal Government’s plan to establish medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones could transform the way doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are trained in the country.
The initiative is expected to provide healthcare students and practitioners with access to advanced simulation technology, allowing them to practise medical procedures and respond to emergencies in controlled environments before treating real patients.
The development comes as the Federal Government moves to expand the number of Nigerians entering medical and other health-related professions amid concerns over manpower shortages, inadequate training facilities and the migration of healthcare professionals abroad.
What are medical simulation centres?
Medical simulation centres are specialised facilities where healthcare professionals can practise clinical procedures using advanced mannequins, virtual patients, computerised systems and simulated hospital environments.
Instead of learning solely from textbooks or performing procedures for the first time on real patients, trainees can practise repeatedly, make mistakes, receive feedback and improve their skills in a safe environment.
For Nigeria, the proposed facilities could have far-reaching implications for healthcare delivery.
- Better-trained doctors and nurses
The centres could provide medical and nursing students with more opportunities for hands-on training.
Students would be able to practise procedures repeatedly before encountering similar situations in real hospitals.
This could help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired in classrooms and practical skills required in healthcare facilities.
- Fewer medical errors
Another major potential benefit is improved patient safety.
Medical trainees can make mistakes during simulation without exposing real patients to unnecessary risks.
Instructors can identify weaknesses, provide immediate feedback and allow trainees to repeat procedures until they demonstrate the required competence.
- Improved response to emergencies
The centres could also strengthen emergency-care training.
Healthcare teams can simulate situations such as cardiac arrest, stroke, severe bleeding, trauma, respiratory failure, difficult childbirth and surgical emergencies.
Repeated simulation can improve teamwork, communication, decision-making and response time when healthcare workers encounter similar emergencies in real life.
- Support for Nigeria’s plan to produce more health workers
The Federal Government has been increasing admission capacity for medical and health-related programmes.
Medical-school admissions have reportedly risen to almost 12,000 annually, with the government targeting approximately 20,000 admissions per year within three years.
Nursing enrolment has also increased significantly.
But expanding admissions without providing sufficient practical-training infrastructure could put pressure on teaching hospitals.
The proposed simulation centres could help institutions accommodate larger numbers of students while providing additional opportunities for practical skills development.
- Advanced training across the country
The six-geopolitical-zone approach could also improve access to modern medical-training facilities.
Advanced simulation technology is often concentrated in a limited number of institutions.
Establishing facilities in different parts of the country could allow students and practising healthcare professionals to access modern training without having to travel long distances or seek training abroad.
- Better preparation for critical procedures
Simulation could be particularly valuable for procedures where mistakes can have serious consequences.
Doctors, nurses and other professionals could rehearse complex clinical procedures repeatedly before undertaking them in real-life settings.
This could improve confidence, technical competence and teamwork among healthcare professionals.
- Potential improvement in patient outcomes
The ultimate test of the programme will be whether better training translates into better healthcare.
If the centres are properly equipped, maintained and staffed with qualified instructors, they could contribute to producing more competent healthcare professionals.
Over time, that could support improvements in patient safety, emergency response and the overall quality of healthcare delivery.
Eight institutions listed for simulation centres
While the Federal Government has presented the initiative as a programme covering Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, TETFund’s 2026 procurement information lists eight institutions for medical simulation centres.
The institutions include:
- University of Ilorin
- Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
- University of Benin
- University of Lagos
- Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare
- Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun
The difference between the six-zone policy description and the eight institutions listed in the procurement information is worth noting.
Will the centres stop health workers from leaving Nigeria?
The initiative could strengthen healthcare training, but it cannot by itself solve Nigeria’s health-worker migration crisis.
Doctors, nurses and other professionals continue to consider factors such as salaries, working conditions, specialist training opportunities, equipment and career progression when deciding whether to remain in the country.
Therefore, the simulation-centre programme would need to be accompanied by broader reforms aimed at improving the working environment for healthcare professionals.
Why the development matters
For Nigeria, the proposed medical simulation centres represent more than the construction of new buildings.
They could introduce a stronger “practice before patient” approach to healthcare education.
Students could learn procedures in simulated environments, repeat them until competent and receive professional feedback before treating actual patients.
If properly funded and sustained, the initiative could help Nigeria train more healthcare professionals while maintaining clinical standards.
