The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has called on governments at all levels to invest more in nursing education, infrastructure, welfare and a conducive work environment to create a more productive workforce.
Council Registrar, Alhassan Ndagi, made this call on Monday at an event to mark the 2025 International Nurses Week, and the unveiling of the Seventh edition of the State House Nurses Magazine, organised by the Nursing Department of the State House Medical Centre in Abuja.
Ndagi, who called on authorities to ensure that nurses were placed at the centre of health reforms, also appealed to stakeholders to respect, value and support nurses as they serve with compassion and dedication.
He added that nurses were central to employees’ health by managing work-related health issues, conducting health surveillance and responding to emergencies, stressing that supporting nurses’ wellbeing was a sure path to improved patient safety, lower rates of medical error, increased productivity, and occupational retention.
The Registrar, who was the keynote speaker, noted that the 2025 theme, Our Nurses Our Future: Caring for Nurses, Strengthens Economies, shifted focus to the health and well-being of nurses, underscoring the critical role of a healthy nursing workforce in strengthening economies and improving health systems.
According to him, “the day honours the nursing profession and serves as a global platform to recognise nurses’ contributions while raising awareness about the critical challenges they face, such as workforce shortages, mental health strain, and inadequate support systems.
This theme provides an opportunity to bring actionable solutions to support nurses in their daily work and improve their long-term health.”
Advocating for the creation of safer, more supportive and positive work environments, the Registrar stated that it was imperative to foster high-performing cultures, ultimately ensuring improved access to quality patient care.
Chairman of the occasion, Engr. Arthur Eze, represented by Brig. Gen I.U Babangida (rtd) eulogised nurses for their compassion and dedication to work despite some inconveniences. He called on governments at all levels to ensure that nurses were accorded their due respect and well-being so that “we do not lose such an experienced and resilient workforce to other nations.”
In her welcome address, the Head of Nursing Department, State House Medical Centre, Nurse Taiwo Thompson-Olatigbe, stated that this year’s theme reiterated the critical roles nurses play in the healthcare delivery and, by extension, the national economy, saying that nurses are the backbone and fulcrum of an efficient healthcare delivery.
Unveiling the Magazine, His Royal Highness, Etsu Kwali, Luka Ayedoo Nizassan III, commended the organisers for bringing the need to advance the cause of nurses to the fore, highlighting the correlation between caring for nurses and strengthening the nation’s economy. The royal father stated that “only a healthy and emotionally stable nurse would attend to the physical and emotional needs of a patient, who would in turn, be productive and grow the economy.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr Keshinro Maryam, Chief Physician to the President, Dr Ade Tinubu, Director of Nurses, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Development, Dame Francisca Okafor, President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, among others, delivered goodwill messages.
