Challenges Facing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training at Federal Government-Owned Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria

Quality training in oral and maxillofacial surgery is essential for sustaining a skilled surgical workforce capable of addressing the diverse burden of orofacial diseases across Nigeria's geopolitical zones. This qualitative descriptive study explores the perceived challenges facing postgraduate training programs in oral and maxillofacial surgery at four federal government-owned teaching hospitals spanning the South East, South West, North Central, and North West geopolitical zones. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resident doctors and 12 consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeons across the four institutions. Thematic analysis was performed using an inductive coding approach. Emerging themes include inadequate surgical equipment and consumables, irregular power supply disrupting theatre schedules, limited access to peer-reviewed journals, poor remuneration discouraging long-term engagement, shortage of qualified supervisors, and structural bottlenecks in the professional postgraduate examination system. Residents from institutions in the northern geopolitical zones reported additional challenges related to cultural barriers to head and neck surgical examination and insecurity affecting case volumes from surrounding communities. The study highlights systemic inadequacies that require policy-level intervention from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Health. It recommends investment in surgical simulation centers, mentorship partnerships with international institutions, and improved resident welfare packages across all training centers. Keywords: oral surgery training, residency, challenges, teaching hospitals, Nigeria.