Nigeria boosts nursing school admissions to fight health worker shortage
The Nigerian government has increased the number of students allowed into nursing schools each year from 28,000 to 115,000.
This move is part of efforts to fix the country’s serious shortage of health workers.
The Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, said the government had passed its target of enrolling 110,000 students annually.
This, according to him, is a big step forward for nursing education and health care in Nigeria.
This was implemented as a result of the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
“This increased enrollment capacity signals a transformative era for nursing education in Nigeria, positioning the country to meet domestic and global demands for qualified healthcare professionals,” The minister, Alausa was quoted by Premium Times.
For years, Nigeria has struggled with inadequate number of nurses and doctors. In 2023, there was only one nurse for every 1,160 patients, as against the World Health Organisation's “one nurse for every 300 people” recommendation.
Many Nigerian health workers have moved abroad in search of better pay and working conditions. This has made the problem worse, a trend widely called the “Japa syndrome.”
To deal with the rise in student numbers, the government is improving buildings and equipment in 18 nursing schools. It also plans to build new colleges and expand existing ones.
As of January 2025, Nigeria had more than 400 approved nursing schools.
