We Must Invest In Training Of Nurses – Peter Obi

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called for more investment in training of nurses by governments.

Peter Obi said with experts warning on the rising scarcity of nurses more investment should be made by federal and state governments to ensure more nurses are trained.

Obi said Nigeria can export human capital to other countries if nursing schools are supported to train more nurses. He added that Nigerian hospitals also lack nurses as many leave the country for greener pastures in Western nations.

“Our investment in the future of our children is for the good of society and the progress of our nation. I am particularly concerned about the training of nurses because they are at the centre of our primary healthcare delivery.

“As experts continue to warn of a looming severe shortage of nurses, we must remain proactive by investing in their training, through that, we can have enough for our domestic health sector, and export more to the global community,” the former governor of Anambra said.

Recall that in February, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) released a new policy that mandated nurses and midwives to practice for two years in the country.

According to MNCN Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Faruk Abubakar, more than 42,000 nurses left Nigeria in the last three years, He said training institutions produce and average of 6,700 nurses yearly.

In 2023, about 15,000 nurses left Nigeria for other countries. Abubakar said despite spending resources to produce nurses in 285 schools of nursing and midwifery, Nigeria loses almost all its nurses to other countries.

Nigeria’s brain drain have been blamed on poor working environment and poor remuneration. Nigeria’s labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) – and the federal government have failed to agree on a new national minimum wage.