By Dr. Nafisat Makinde
The Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 20,000 new health workers, 60 percent of whom will be nurses and midwives, to fill critical workforce gaps in federal health facilities.
Speaking at the National Nursing Summit in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the move is part of the Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (NSDNM) 2025–2030. The initiative aims to strengthen education, workforce development, leadership, and service delivery nationwide.
“The enrollment quota for nursing and midwifery institutions has risen from 28,000 in 2023 to 115,000 for the 2025 academic year,” Prof. Pate said. He added that beyond numbers, the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for health workers to thrive.
Over 69,000 frontline health workers have been retrained across the 36 states, with nurses and midwives among the top beneficiaries. A Technical Working Group has been launched to ensure measurable progress in implementing the NSDNM.
Prof. Pate also commended international partners, including the World Health Organization, for supporting Nigeria’s alignment with global health standards. Earlier this year, Nigeria became the first country in West Africa to implement the Best Practice Spotlight Organization model, promoting evidence-based nursing practices to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom and Prof. Saleh Ngaski Garba stressed that sustained investment in nursing and midwifery is essential to achieving universal health coverage, reducing mortality, and retaining talent. The NSDNM launch marks a major step in repositioning Nigeria’s nursing and midwifery workforce and reinforcing the government’s commitment to health system resilience and quality care.
