African Medical Schools Advocate Competence Over Certification

At the recent 2026 medical education conference held in Lagos, Professor Temidayo Ogundiran, representing AMASA, emphasized the urgent need for African medical schools to prioritize competence over certification to tackle the projected shortage of 6.1 million health workers by 2030. The conference, which marked a significant milestone in AMASA's history, aimed to strengthen the nexus between research, education, and service in medical education across Africa.

Ogundiran highlighted that Africa bears nearly 24% of the global disease burden while only providing 3% of the world's health workforce. The conference called for bold actions to enhance the training and retention of health workers, addressing systemic inefficiencies that leave 27% of skilled professionals unemployed.

The event featured contributions from various stakeholders, including Dr. David Atuwo and Dr.

Tunji Alausa, who echoed the need for an overhaul in training outcomes to ensure high-quality healthcare delivery.