Posted on: Thu 14-05-2026

Activities marking the 2026 International Nurses Week have commenced across Nigeria, with Kebbi State hosting a vibrant celebration led by the state chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).

On Wednesday, the Kebbi NANNM chapter held a colourful ceremony at the auditorium of the Kebbi State College of Nursing Sciences. Addressing participants, the branch chairman, Comrade Nurse Kelani Abdulwaliyu, urged both practicing and student nurses to uphold professionalism and remain worthy ambassadors of the state wherever they serve.

Abdulwaliyu described Governor Nasir Idris as a “nurses friendly governor” and announced that the association had passed a vote of confidence in his administration. He said the gesture was in recognition of the governor’s continued support for nurses and his commitment to strengthening the healthcare sector.

He explained that the association resolved to honour Governor Idris for prioritizing the welfare of both working and student nurses, noting that the sector had recorded significant progress under his leadership.

The NANNM chairman also commended nurses across the state for their dedication to improving healthcare delivery, describing them as indispensable stakeholders whose contributions remain invaluable.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Nurse Attah Babangida Kashim of the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, spoke on the theme: “Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives.”

He emphasized the need for the Federal Government to introduce policies that grant nurses greater professional autonomy, arguing that such reforms would enable them to fully maximize their potential.

Kashim noted that nurses constitute nearly 80 percent of the nation’s healthcare workforce and therefore require an enabling environment to thrive. He called for improved representation of nurses in policy formulation and stronger empowerment initiatives to enhance their effectiveness as frontline caregivers.

The event featured debates, cultural dance performances, and the unveiling of a poem dedicated to the Kebbi NANNM chairman, among other activities.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Isah Tunda, urged nurses to continue supporting the Idris administration, stressing that such cooperation would encourage further investment in the welfare of healthcare workers.

The ceremony was attended by top government officials, including the Commissioners for Higher Education and Health, as well as veteran nurse and pioneer Provost of the Kebbi State College of Nursing Sciences, Alhaji Bello Nasala, alongside other distinguished figures in the nursing profession.

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