FG Approves Medical Fellowships as Equivalent of PhD for Academic Career Progression

The Federal Government has approved a policy amendment that will allow medical fellowships to serve as the equivalent of a PhD for academic promotion and career progression among medical professionals in Nigerian universities.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the minister, the council reviewed and approved amendments to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act, a move expected to strengthen academic and professional recognition for medical specialists.

Amendment to Be Sent to National Assembly

The minister explained that the proposed amendment will be forwarded to the National Assembly of Nigeria for legislative approval before becoming law.

If enacted, the policy will formally recognise medical fellowships as an academic qualification comparable to a PhD, particularly for clinical professionals working within Nigeria’s university system.

Long-Standing Demand by Medical Professionals

Medical practitioners have long argued that postgraduate medical fellowships contain extensive research and specialist training comparable to doctoral-level academic work.

Fellowships from institutions such as:

• National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
• West African College of Physicians
• West African College of Surgeons

are widely regarded within the medical community as rigorous specialist qualifications.

Previous Agreement on Academic Promotion

In 2020, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) reached an agreement stating that a PhD should not be a mandatory requirement for the promotion of clinical lecturers.

Under that agreement, clinical academics without a PhD could still rise through academic ranks up to the level of Professor within Nigerian universities.

However, MDCAN has continued to raise concerns about persistent discrimination against medical fellows, particularly in leadership recruitment processes such as the selection of university vice-chancellors, where a PhD is often listed as a compulsory qualification.

Policy Expected to Address Discrimination

Education authorities say the amendment is intended to align academic policies with the realities of medical training while ensuring fairness for clinical specialists working in universities.

Stakeholders believe the move could help resolve longstanding disputes over qualification requirements and improve career progression opportunities for medical academics across Nigeria.