By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
In a move to improve the healthcare system, the federal government has increased nursing school enrollment from 28,000 to 115,000 students in a move to improve the healthcare delivery system.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, announced this on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the National Nursing Summit and NSDNM 2025–2030, Roadmap.
He said, “The enrollment quota for nursing and midwifery training institutions, which stood at 28,000 in May 2023, has now been scaled up to 115,000 for the 2025 academic year.”
“This leap will enable Nigeria to produce more nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and medical students to meet both national and global health needs.”
Delivering his keynote remarks at the launch , Prof. Ali Pate said that the NSDNM 2025–2030, Roadmap initiative is a blueprint for transformation that will reposition Nigeria’s nursing and midwifery services for greater impact, quality, and equity.
He explained that “The Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (NSDNM) 2025–2030″, is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen education, workforce development, leadership, and service delivery across all levels of healthcare.
Prof. Pate said, “Nurses are at the core of the resilience of Nigeria’s health system,” “This strategy is not just another policy document; it is a practical guide for reform, innovation, and investment to build a skilled, motivated, and equitably distributed workforce capable of delivering quality care to all Nigerians.”
According to the health minister, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, is focused on improving working conditions and creating an enabling environment where health workers can thrive.
Furthermore, Prof. Pate disclosed that over 69,000 frontline health workers have been retrained across the 36 states, with nurses and midwives among the top beneficiaries.
“Our commitment goes beyond rhetoric. This is about tangible action that strengthens our health system from the ground up,” he said.
He called on stakeholders to align with the NSDNM initiative to improve the healthcare outcomes in the country.
“I call on all stakeholders, state governments, ministries, training institutions, professional bodies, and development partners, to align with this mission.”
“Together, we can improve health outcomes, reduce mortality, and ensure the resilience of our nation, Prof. Pate added.
Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom charged the inaugurated the NSDNM Technical Working Group (TWG) to drive its implementation and ensure accountability at every stage.”
Similarly, Prof. Saleh Ngaski Garba, Head of Nursing Science at Bayero University, Kano, in his keynote address, highlighted that nurses and midwives constitute nearly 60 percent of Nigeria’s health workforce and remain indispensable to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He urged government and stakeholders to sustain investment in the profession to bridge existing workforce gaps and retain talent.
The WHO Country Representative, Mary Brentrow lauded Nigeria’s leadership for its bold steps to address the critical shortage of nurses and midwives.
“Investing in nursing and midwifery is not a cost, it is a strategic investment in health system resilience, gender equity, and economic development.”
With this launch, Nigeria sets a new benchmark in health workforce planning, anchoring the nation’s quest for universal health coverage on a stronger, empowered, and well-supported nursing and midwifery cadre, Brentrow said
