FG signs MoU with private firms to enhance bio-medical engineering capacity

In a significant move to enhance the capacity of Schools of Biomedical Engineering, the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the nation’s healthcare systems.

A statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, explained that this initiative fulfills President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign promises to improve the health sector and its infrastructure, contributing to the development of human capital.

Dr. Tunji Alausa, Honourable Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, revealed this during the signing of the MoU between the Ministry, GE HealthCare, and JNCI Ltd., on behalf of five Schools of Biomedical Engineering at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

Elaborating further, the Honourable Minister highlighted the critical and deliberate initiatives that led to the signing of the MoU, aimed at building the training capacity of students.

Dr. Alausa cited curriculum development, accreditation of the schools for OND and HND programs, and funding as key measures to address the shortage of biomedical engineers in the country and improve their infrastructure.

“The journey to signing the MoU began long ago, with a series of meetings and diagnostic studies of what our Biomedical Engineering Schools need. We have developed the curriculum—thank you to GE Healthcare and JNCI for helping us upgrade it,” he added.

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Speaking on the opportunities available from the capacity-building program, Dr. Alausa emphasized that engineers from the five Biomedical Engineering Schools will be trained to work as biomedical engineers.

“We have also worked on accrediting the schools for HND, not just OND. We are doing this in a very deliberate and calculated way to ensure that engineers are properly trained as biomedical engineers. Additionally, we aim to expand opportunities for millions of young men and women, allowing them to pursue OND and HND degrees in Biomedical Engineering.

“As they do so, they can confidently enter the workforce, knowing they are prepared for the job. This initiative also helps institutions and society by reducing healthcare costs,” the Minister further affirmed.

To ensure the sustainability of the schools’ operations, the Minister noted that the Ministry will create Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) codes to streamline budgetary allocations for the schools in the 2025 fiscal year. The Honourable Minister commended GE Healthcare, JNCI, and the Global Fund for their commitment to training the students.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, mni, praised the capacity-building initiative, noting it as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the health sector for optimal service delivery to the public.

In their remarks, Mrs. Claire Omatseye, Managing Director of JNCI, and Dr. George Uduku, General Manager of GE Healthcare, affirmed that their organizations align with the administration’s vision to improve healthcare delivery systems in the country. They emphasized that the signing of the MoU is a testament to their commitment to training five students from each Biomedical Engineering School in Enugu, Maiduguri, Edo, Zaria, and Lagos.