The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise funding for the health workforce and to employ over 115,000 graduate nurses ready to serve the nation’s healthcare system.
NANNM President, Haruna Mamman, made the call during the commemoration of the International Day of the Midwife and the start of the 2025 International Nurses Week. He emphasised the theme, “Our nurses, our future: caring for nurses, strengthening economies,” as a call to protect nurses’ well-being.
He stressed the need for “immediate funding and workable solutions to safeguard nurses and midwives from emotional, mental, and physical difficulties.” Mamman also acknowledged challenges within the profession, saying nurses must address “issues of negligence and attitude in patient care” that have damaged public trust.
He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to “promoting professionalism, continuing education, and ethical standards.”
The association also raised concerns over insecurity, citing past incidents that endangered frontline health workers. In January, the Katsina State chapter withdrew nurses from high-risk areas following the abduction of Nurse Yusuf Mai-Ruwa at General Hospital, Kankara.
Speaking at a press conference titled “Health Worker, You Are On Your Own,” the State Chairman, Nura Mu’azu, said: “He (Mai-Ruwa) falls victim while in the line of duty… it has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that no healthcare worker is safe despite our immeasurable sacrifices to society and humanity.”
Mu’azu also recalled the 2022 killing of Murtala Isah Safana by gunmen and commended government investments in health infrastructure but warned: “One needs to be alive to save the lives of others, as one must be safe before he/she can care for others.”
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