The Federal Government has clarified that the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval to amend the Act of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria does not equate PhD degrees with medical fellowship qualifications.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, through the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
The clarification follows reports suggesting that PhD degrees would be placed on the same level as medical fellowship qualifications in clinical practice.
What the minister said
According to Alausa, the decision approved by the FEC, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, only allows the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission to award PhD degrees in relevant medical and research disciplines.
He explained that some reports had incorrectly interpreted the approval to mean that a PhD would replace or be considered equivalent to a medical fellowship.
- “The approval granted by the Federal Executive Council does not equate PhD degrees with medical fellowship qualifications,” the minister said.
Alausa emphasized that a medical fellowship remains a distinct and higher professional qualification in clinical medical practice.
He explained that a fellowship is awarded to physicians who have completed rigorous residency training and other postgraduate medical education requirements needed for specialist practice.
Backstory
In a recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the government approved amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria Act.
- The College, established in 1979, originally only trains and certifies specialist doctors and awards fellowships in clinical and surgical fields.
The amendment now allows the College to offer PhD programmes in relevant medical and research disciplines, introducing an additional academic pathway to strengthen research and specialist training in Nigeria.
More details
The minister noted that the FEC decision simply expands the academic mandate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
According to him, once accredited by the National Universities Commission, the institution will be able to offer PhD programmes for candidates interested in advanced academic research alongside professional medical training.
Alausa added that physicians undergoing postgraduate medical training may also have the option of integrating a structured doctoral research pathway with their fellowship programmes where appropriate.
What you should know
A medical fellowship is a postgraduate professional qualification awarded to doctors who have undergone extensive specialist training in a particular field of medicine. It is the highest level of professional medical education after completing a basic medical degree (MBBS), and comes after a residency programme in a chosen speciality.
Medical fellowships are typically overseen by professional colleges such as the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) or the West African College of Physicians/Surgeons, which establish the standards for training, examinations, and professional competence.
Unlike a PhD, which is primarily an academic and research-focused qualification, a medical fellowship is a professional and practice-oriented certification that shows mastery of clinical skills.
