The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for the establishment of more dental faculties in colleges of medicine and specialized universities of health sciences across the country.
NMA President, Prof. Bala Audu, made the appeal on Thursday at the opening of the 58th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) in Abuja.
The theme of the conference is “Healthy Smiles, Sustainable Futures: Integrating National Sustainable Development Goals.”
Audu noted that the dental profession has made significant progress and continues to play a pivotal role within the NMA and in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
He said the growth of the NDA requires an increase in the number of dental practitioners, which can only be achieved through the establishment of more dental schools nationwide.
According to him, doing so will strengthen oral health services—an area he said many Nigerians often overlook.
“Our colleges of medicine need to establish more faculties of dentistry, as well as our specialised universities of health sciences. This is a major advocacy responsibility for the NMA, NDA and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN),” he said.
Audu also urged the Ministry of Health to intensify efforts toward establishing at least one federal dental hospital in each geopolitical zone.
He said such facilities are essential to expand access to dental care and to support the increasing number of candidates seeking entry into dental programmes.
Earlier, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, represented by Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, said the ministry remains committed to supporting professional development as part of broader plans to transform the healthcare sector.
He said the Federal Government is working to improve doctors’ working conditions and expand residency training opportunities.
Pate also disclosed that plans are underway to introduce oral care into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to strengthen access to quality oral health services.
“The ministry will continue to collaborate with the MDCN and other regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight, professional education and accountability mechanisms,” he added.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Olaniyi Taiwo said the national oral health policy remains poorly implemented, noting that oral health has yet to be integrated into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategies.
He pointed out that national oral health survey data are outdated and surveillance systems underfunded, affecting planning and resource allocation.
“About 3.5 billion people globally are affected by oral diseases, yet oral health is largely neglected and not covered under UHC or SDG 3,” he said.
Also speaking, NDA President, Dr Emedom Elias, said the conference theme reflects the association’s belief that oral health is inseparable from general health and national productivity.
He said the theme and sub-themes were selected to broaden members’ knowledge, strengthen their professional capacity and inspire action to improve oral healthcare delivery.
Elias added that the NDA will continue to collaborate with partners, including the International Federation of Dentists (FDI), Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA) and the International Association for Dental Research.
