Ministry of Education clarifies FEC decision: PhD degrees will not replace medical fellowships; Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College can now offer doctoral programs

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified reports surrounding the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) recent decision to amend the Act governing the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College, stressing that a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is not equivalent to a medical fellowship.

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In a statement on Thursday, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, explained that media reports suggesting the government had equated PhD degrees with medical fellowships were inaccurate.

Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, emphasised that the FEC approval under President Bola Tinubu enables the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to offer PhD programmes in relevant medical and research disciplines.

“The approval granted by Council allows the College to pursue advanced academic pathways alongside its longstanding professional fellowship programmes,” Alausa said.

“It does not alter the status of medical fellowships, which remain distinct and essential qualifications for specialist clinical practice.”

Medical fellowships, awarded to physicians completing rigorous residency training and postgraduate medical education, continue to hold professional prestige.

The proposed framework allows postgraduate doctors to combine fellowship training with structured doctoral research, promoting academic scholarship without diminishing professional qualifications.

Officials noted that the reform aims to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for advanced medical research, enhance the country’s competitiveness in global medical education, and align postgraduate training with international standards.

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“The approval introduces an academic pathway that complements, rather than replaces, professional medical fellowships,” the ministry stated.