The Federal Government has dismissed confusion surrounding the Federal Executive Council’s approval to amend the Act governing the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College, that a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, degree will not replace or be considered equivalent to medical fellowship in Nigeria.
Director of Press and Public Relations, of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, said on Thursday, that the decision of the Council, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, grants the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College the authority to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission, NUC, to award PhD degrees in relevant medical and research fields.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, also said that several reports across digital media had misrepresented the policy, creating the impression that the government intended to equate a PhD with the prestigious medical fellowship qualification required for specialist clinical practice.
The ministry further said the clarification became necessary following misconceptions suggesting that the proposed PhD programmes would place academic doctoral degrees on the same pedestal as professional fellowship qualifications.