How we increased nursing education enrolment from 28,000 to 115,000 — FG

 

 

 

 

AMID severe shortage of nurses in Nigeria, a situation that is aggravated by high attrition rates and nurses leaving for better opportunities abroad, the Federal Government has said it has increased enrolment in nursing education from paltry 28,000 to 115,000.

Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, speaking on the remarkable improvement in enrolment of students in nursing education in the life of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, attributed the surge to deliberate effort of the government to address the acute shortage of nurses in  Nigeria by setting out target of 110,000 nursing students enrolment annually.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised Nigeria as a country with a shortage of healthcare workers since 2020 with stakeholders emphasising that this has impacted the quality of healthcare delivery, particularly in specialised fields and rural areas. 

According to reports, over 75,000 nurses and midwives have migrated to other countries in the past five years, driven by poor wages, inadequate working conditions, and lack of professional development opportunities. 

Consequently, the remaining nurses face increased workloads and potential health hazards due to the shortage. 

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Dr Alausa, however, revealed that to boost Nigeria’s hazealthcare and education sectors, Nigeria has reached a transformative milestone in healthcare education, saying that annual nursing enrolment has surged from 28,000, as it was on May 28, 2023 when the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led-administration was inaugurated, to an unprecedented 115,000 as a result of Mr President’s initiative.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focusing on revitalising the education and health sectors.

He noted that in line with the administration’s emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM), the Federal Ministries of Education and Health and Social Welfare have successfully surpassed the initial set out target of 110,000 nursing students annually enrolled at nursing colleges to 115,000.

Alausa maintained that the Ministry, under his watch, had taken a crucial step in transforming medical education infrastructure and ensuring that medical professionals are equipped with the best resources to meet the evolving challenges of the healthcare sector.

 

He emphasised that medical education remains the bedrock of any country’s healthcare system. “In every society, healthcare professionals are at the forefront of providing critical services to citizens.

 

“For Nigeria, with its growing population and diverse health challenges, investing in the training and development of medical professionals has never been more urgent.

 

“The need for well-trained, highly-skilled medical personnel is paramount, and this can only be achieved through access to quality education, state-of-the-art facilities, and a robust curriculum that prepares future doctors, nurses, and healthcare specialists for the complexities of the modern healthcare system,” he stated.

 

The Minister thanked stakeholders, industry leaders, the Nigerian Council of Nurses (NCN) and Midwifery, teaching hospitals, and Ministry staff for their contributions towards the great achievement, adding that the increased enrolment capacity signals a transformative era for nursing education in Nigeria.

 

He noted that this would position the country to meet domestic and global demands for qualified healthcare professionals.