By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Federal Government has unveiled 14 newly developed Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula for Environmental Health Technology, Public Health Technology, and Epidemiology and Disease Control Technology, in a major move to strengthen Nigeria’s environmental and public health workforce.
The new curricula, designed for polytechnics and monotechnics across the country, are expected to produce highly skilled professionals equipped with modern knowledge, practical competencies and specialised skills to address emerging environmental and public health challenges.
Speaking at the official unveiling in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said the curricula would create greater opportunities for the advancement and specialisation of Environmental Health Officers and other professionals working in critical areas of environmental and public health.
The minister, who was represented by the Conservator-General, Ibrahim M. Goni, said the curricula would provide a nationally coordinated framework for producing graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to public health and national development.
He said, “They will provide a nationally coordinated framework for producing graduates who possess the knowledge, practical competencies, modern techniques and professional values required to serve our communities and contribute meaningfully to national development.”
According to him, the initiative is closely aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly its emphasis on human capital development, skills acquisition, job creation, disease prevention and improved wellbeing.
Lawal said the new curricula also support Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to good health and wellbeing, food security, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action and environmental protection.
He stressed that environmental health remains one of the essential foundations of public health, noting that the quality of air, water and food, as well as waste management and living and working conditions, have direct consequences for human health and national productivity.
“The introduction of these specialised curricula is therefore timely. Nigeria continues to confront challenges associated with poor sanitation, unsafe food, environmental pollution, climate change, inadequate waste management and outbreaks of environmentally related diseases,” he said.
The minister maintained that effectively responding to these challenges required highly trained professionals capable of applying scientific knowledge, modern technology and practical skills to protect the health of Nigerians.
He therefore called on the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), in partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and participating institutions, to develop and implement a comprehensive capacity-building programme for lecturers, instructors, assessors and programme coordinators.
According to him, such a programme would promote a common understanding of the curricula and ensure consistency in their implementation across the country.
He further urged stakeholders to pay particular attention to institutional readiness, quality assurance, accreditation, practical training, continuous curriculum review, industry participation, research and the application of emerging technologies.
He said effective mechanisms should also be established to monitor outcomes and address identified gaps during implementation.
Lawal stressed that the curricula should not be regarded merely as academic documents but as instruments for workforce development, professional transformation and national progress.
“Their ultimate value will be measured by the quality of graduates they produce and by the practical improvements recorded in sanitation, food safety, pollution control, climate resilience, disease prevention and community wellbeing,” he said.
The minister assured that the Federal Ministry of Environment would continue to support EHCON in the effective discharge of its statutory mandate and promote policies and partnerships aimed at strengthening environmental health regulation and professional development.
He also called on state and local governments, educational institutions, private-sector operators, development partners and professional bodies to support the implementation of the new curricula.
“Investment in environmental health education is an investment in disease prevention, human dignity, economic productivity and the sustainable future of our nation,” he said.
Also speaking, the keynote speaker and Professor of Environmental Health and Public Health at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Agwu Nkwa Amadi, described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening health workforce development in Nigeria.
Amadi said the unveiling demonstrated the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NBTE, EHCON and other stakeholders to producing competent environmental and public health professionals capable of responding to the country’s evolving challenges.
He noted that Nigeria’s changing epidemiological landscape, characterised by climate change, rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, environmental pollution, food safety concerns and public health emergencies, required professionals with specialised knowledge and practical competencies.
“The newly developed curricula therefore represent a timely response to these national, regional and global realities,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Idris Bugaje, also described the introduction of the specialised programmes as timely and critical to addressing Nigeria’s workforce needs.
Bugaje, who was represented by the Director of Curriculum Development at NBTE, Dr Oladipupo Bello, said Nigeria required a new cadre of highly skilled and specialised middle-level manpower to tackle emerging public health challenges.
“These curricula bridge critical skill gaps, shifting our educational focus from theoretical knowledge to practical, competency-based execution that directly addresses our national public health priorities,” he said.
He urged all stakeholders to ensure that the curricula translated into tangible improvements in institutions, youth empowerment and public health outcomes rather than becoming documents that merely gathered dust on shelves.
Earlier, the Registrar of EHCON, Dr Yakubu Mohammed Baba, said the council remained committed to ensuring that implementation of the curricula produced professionals who were technically competent, ethically responsible, innovative and capable of responding to the evolving needs of society.
He said EHCON would continue to discharge its statutory mandate through effective regulation, improved professional standards, institutional collaboration, continuous professional development and promotion of best practices in environmental and public health.
Baba explained that the programmes were designed to produce highly skilled professionals capable of improving sanitation and protecting communities from environmental health risks.
He stressed that successful implementation would require adequate funding, institutional commitment and sustained cooperation among stakeholders.
“We therefore respectfully appeal to the Federal Government, state governments, educational institutions, development partners and the organised private sector to support the provision of laboratories, equipment, digital learning facilities and scholarships,” he added.
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