The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified reports surrounding the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) decision on Wednesday to amend the Act governing the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College, emphasizing that the move does not equate a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree with a medical fellowship.
The clarification follows widespread media reports suggesting that the government had approved medical fellowships as equivalent to PhD degrees, an interpretation the ministry says is incorrect.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, explained that the decision had been widely misrepresented in some sections of the media, prompting the need for clarification.
According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, stressed that the approval granted by the FEC under President Bola Tinubu allows the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to award PhD degrees in relevant medical and research disciplines.
“The approval granted by Council under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu enables the College to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission to award Doctor of Philosophy degrees in relevant medical and research disciplines,” Alausa said.
He emphasized that the approval is intended to expand the academic mandate of the college, rather than alter the status of medical fellowship qualifications.
“The development has been widely misinterpreted in some reports as suggesting that a PhD degree would replace or be considered equivalent to a medical fellowship. This interpretation is incorrect,” the minister added.
Alausa clarified that a medical fellowship remains a distinct and higher professional qualification required for specialist clinical practice. Fellowships are awarded to physicians who complete rigorous residency training and other postgraduate medical education requirements.
Under the proposed framework, doctors undergoing postgraduate medical training may have the option of combining their fellowship programmes with a structured doctoral research pathway, enabling them to pursue advanced academic research alongside professional medical training.
“Medical fellowship remains a distinct and higher professional qualification in clinical practice, awarded to physicians who have successfully completed rigorous residency training and other postgraduate medical education requirements required for specialist practice.
The decision of the Federal Executive Council simply expands the academic mandate of the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College. In addition to its long-standing responsibility of awarding professional fellowships to qualified physicians, the College will now be able — upon accreditation by the National Universities Commission — to offer PhD programmes for candidates who wish to pursue advanced academic research alongside their professional medical training,” Alausa explained.
Officials noted that the arrangement is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for advanced medical research and academic medicine while preserving the integrity and prestige associated with professional medical fellowships.
The ministry reiterated that the clarification was necessary following misconceptions suggesting that a PhD qualification was being placed on the same level as a fellowship.
“The reform introduces an additional academic pathway that complements the existing professional training structure,” the statement said.
The ministry also emphasized that the policy aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen postgraduate medical education, expand opportunities for research and innovation, and harmonize Nigeria’s specialist training framework with international standards.
“The approval will not diminish the value or status of medical fellowships in the country. Rather, it represents a strategic step aimed at deepening academic scholarship within Nigeria’s medical training system and improving the country’s competitiveness in global medical research and education,” the statement concluded.