The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) on Wednesday in Abuja commended international health development partners for their support in strengthening the nursing profession in Nigeria.
The commendation followed the support provided to the council and 13 Nursing and Midwifery Training Institutions to further transform nursing and midwifery education in the country.
The development partners include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Information Systems Advisory (HISA).
Items provided include training equipment, documents, electronic applications, educational resources and an electronic accreditation management system.
Speaking at the official launch and handover of the items, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of NMCN, Mr Ndagi Alhassan, commended the partners for their sustained commitment.
Alhassan said the items would enhance the quality of teaching and learning in nursing training institutions, support skills acquisition and promote competency-based education.
“On behalf of the management, staff and the entire community of nurses and midwives in Nigeria, I extend our profound appreciation to our partners for their unwavering commitment to strengthening nursing and midwifery education, regulation and practice in Nigeria.
“Your support is timely and strategic. It reinforces our shared vision of producing a resilient, competent and well-equipped health workforce capable of meeting the healthcare needs of our population.
“The training items, documents and electronic applications being launched today represent a critical investment in the objectives of NMCN.
“They enhance the quality of teaching and learning, support skills acquisition and promote competency-based education for nurses and midwives,” he said.
Alhassan added that through the partnerships, the council had benefitted from technical assistance, capacity building, curriculum strengthening, digital transformation initiatives and the provision of modern training tools aligned with international standards.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the achievements recorded by NMCN through the partnerships as commendable.
Pate said the launch of the items was not merely ceremonial but a renewed commitment to the health and well-being of Nigerians, particularly women, newborns and families.
“It is also a means of improving quality education, which will translate into professional excellence and improved frontline service delivery,” he said.
Pate noted that Nigeria continued to face one of the world’s most challenging maternal and newborn health burdens, with maternal mortality remaining unacceptably high.
“This underscores the urgent need for skilled personnel at every stage of pregnancy and childbirth.
“The role of midwives in reducing maternal mortality cannot be over-emphasised. The consequences of shortages of trained midwives are most evident in rural and underserved communities.
“Evidence shows that most maternal deaths occur in settings without skilled birth attendance,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the challenge of retaining trained nurses and midwives, noting that migration abroad had worsened the country’s health workforce gap.
To address this, Pate said he had approved the central placement of nurse interns to ease challenges faced by newly qualified nurses in securing internship placements.
According to him, the launch of the midwifery items, electronic applications and training materials reflects collaboration, shared vision and aligned purpose among stakeholders.
Ashenews gathered that the development partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Nigerian government to strengthen the health sector.
