Posted on: Mon 11-05-2026

As Nigeria marked the International Day of the Midwife themed “One Million More Midwives”, key health stakeholders have renewed calls for increased investment in the training, welfare and retention of midwives, warning that the country cannot curb maternal and newborn deaths without rapidly expanding its skilled birth workforce.

 

Speaking at a symposium organised by the Directorate of Nursing Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Comrade Christiana Adeboboye, lamented the acute shortage of midwives across the country. She described the situation as a major threat to safe pregnancy, delivery and postnatal care.

 

Adeboboye stressed that midwives remain central to maternal and child survival and urged government at all levels to invest more in midwifery education, upgrade training institutions and improve welfare packages to make the profession attractive.

 

“We are short of midwives. We need more midwives because they are critical to safe pregnancy, safe delivery and the postpartum period. We need more midwifery colleges and more training institutions. We must produce more midwives at university and professional levels,” she said.

She added that achieving the maternal and child health targets under the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 would require stronger collaboration between government, professional bodies and development partners.

 

On the growing challenge of brain drain, Adeboboye called for urgent expansion of training opportunities and better incentives to retain midwives already in the system. She also advocated for specialist allowances for midwives, noting that their expertise should be adequately recognised and compensated.

 

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oladipo Oluwaloni, the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr. Ismail Abdulsalam, said the call for one million more midwives was timely. He noted that reducing maternal, perinatal and infant mortality would require stronger public private partnerships.

 

Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for the BOOST Project at Save the Children International, Dr. Itunu Dave Agboola, also highlighted the impact of brain drain on the health sector. She urged government to create better incentives to attract and retain skilled professionals, warning that inadequate staffing leaves nurses and midwives overwhelmed.

 

She further called for decisive action against quackery, which she said continues to endanger mothers and families. Dave Agboola appealed for increased domestic funding for routine immunisation and maternal and child health, stressing that many children, especially in hard to reach and riverine communities, still die from preventable diseases due to poor access to quality healthcare.

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