The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, in partnership with Push Africa, has rolled out a new phase of healthcare capacity-building with the training of healthcare assistants under the Push Africa Healthcare Assistant Training Programme.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja over the weekend, Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, President of AUST, said the collaboration aims to fill critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare workforce by equipping young people with practical caregiving and health-support skills.
Onwualu expressed concern over the persistent challenges facing the health sector, noting that while doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals are essential, a significant portion of healthcare delivery, both inside and outside hospitals depends on capable caregivers.
“A lot of the work that needs to be done has to be done by caregivers, because in and out of hospitals, there is a lot of need.
“Caregiving in Nigeria has traditionally been carried out by families, but we need to professionalise this area so people can offer skilled care, even outside hospital settings, and even globally,” he said.
He added that the partnership with Push Africa enables AUST to provide the academic foundation for the programme while Push Africa implements hands-on training, ensuring that graduates gain not just certificates but real-world skills.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the university’s broader mission of producing graduates, whether at bachelor’s, master’s or PhD levels who possess practical competencies that make them employable and industry-ready.
Doris Egberamen, Founder of Push Africa, said the organisation’s long-term vision is to train and empower two million Nigerians and Africans with market-relevant skills that can help reduce youth unemployment and poverty.
Egberamen explained that Push Africa’s work is driven by the need to correct an education system that has become overly theoretical and detached from the labour market.
“Young people spend four years learning theoretical jargons and graduate even more confused.
“We believe we can change that narrative by ensuring they acquire skills that are practicable and can help them transition from classroom to workplace.”
She noted that the healthcare sector faces massive workforce gaps, worsened by the continuous migration of trained professionals. Beyond producing more doctors and nurses, she said, there is a need to empower those at the base of the pyramid who can provide essential support services as caregivers, health aides and emergency responders.
“Now, we think that one of the things that causes these issues of unemployment is that there’s a system of education that we have in this country.
“The system of education that we have in this country seems to be more theoretical, allowing students to go to school, to spend all four years learning jargons, theoretical jargons and coming out even more confused than when they got it.”
