The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for the establishment of more dental faculties in colleges of medicine and specialised universities of health sciences across the country.
The association’s President, Professor Bala Audu, made the call 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.”
Prof. Audu said the dental profession has made significant progress and plays a pivotal role within the NMA and the country’s healthcare delivery system.
He said the growth of the NDA requires an increase in the number of dental practitioners, adding that this can only be achieved by establishing more dental schools across the country.
According to him, doing so will strengthen oral health services, an area many Nigerians often neglect.
“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.
Prof. Audu also urged the Ministry of Health to intensify efforts to establish at least one federal dental hospital in each geopolitical zone.
He said such facilities are needed to expand access to dental care and support the increasing number of candidates seeking entry into dental programmes.
Earlier, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, said the ministry is committed to supporting professional development to transform the healthcare sector.
He said the Federal Government is working to improve doctors’ working conditions and expand residency training opportunities.
Prof. 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 said.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Olaniyi Taiwo said the national oral health policy remains poorly implemented, adding that oral health is not yet integrated into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategies.
He noted that national oral health survey data are outdated and surveillance systems are underfunded, affecting planning and resource allocation.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 SDG3,” he said.
Also, 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 chosen to expand members’ knowledge, strengthen their professional capacity and inspire action to improve oral healthcare delivery.
Elias said 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.
