The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, says the proposed Foundation Certificate in Applied Health will help bridge manpower gaps in healthcare delivery across Africa.
Bugaje stated this on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a National Curriculum Critique and Validation Workshop for the programme.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Afe Babalola Centre at King’s College London.
According to him, the initiative aims to develop a one-year training programme to strengthen the capacity of middle-level health workers.
He said the programme was designed not only to create employment opportunities for young people but also to provide specialised training needed to improve healthcare systems across the continent.
Bugaje explained that the curriculum would also enable graduates to progress academically, noting that holders of the certificate could gain admission into the second year of relevant National Diploma programmes in health technology and related fields.
“This curriculum we are developing will help Africa revive by providing better training for healthcare workers at the middle level who are essential to the delivery of quality healthcare services,” he said.
The NBTE boss also appreciated King’s College London for supporting and financing activities related to the workshop, adding that the programme would strengthen health education and improve healthcare outcomes in Africa.
Also speaking virtually, a director at the Afe Babalola Centre, Angel Jen, said the initiative was part of efforts to expand access to quality education and employment opportunities for underserved youth in Africa.
Jen said the centre aimed to reach one million work-ready Africans by 2030 through accessible and affordable education supported by technology.
She explained that the foundation certificate in applied health would serve as a bridge between secondary and higher education while offering short courses on digital, communication and leadership skills.
The Director of Curriculum Development at NBTE, Oladipupo Bello, said the proposed one-year programme, designed as a full-time online course, would provide an alternative pathway into National Diploma programmes in health technology institutions.
Bello added that the curriculum development process aimed to ensure alignment with existing National Diploma structures in Nigerian Colleges of Health Technology while meeting international best practices.
He said the workshop provided an opportunity for experts from academia, professional bodies and industry to review the curriculum to ensure it produces middle-level health workers with practical skills and ethical orientation.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Technology and Nursing Sciences, Johnson Ojo, commended NBTE for initiating the programme.
Ojo described the workshop as a strategic step toward expanding opportunities in health education for young Nigerians.
He pledged the commitment of colleges of health technology and nursing sciences across the country to implement the programme once it is formally approved by NBTE.