The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives has raised the alarm over mass exodus of nurses to foreign countries, saying it has caused drastic shortage of nurses in Nigeria.

This has led to workplace hazard, burnout, stress and even untimely death among the few ones serving in the country, the association said.

The President of NANNM, Mr. Abdrafiu Adeniji, said this at a press briefing on Sunday in Abuja in commemoration of the International Nurses Week.

He predicted that, “In about five years’ time, the rate of retirement of nurses will be so alarming.”

He urged the Federal Government to “specially look into the recruitment of nurses as a matter of urgency.”

Adeniji also charged governments at all levels to improve on the financing of institutions where nurses are being trained in order to address the spate at which the schools are losing accreditation.

He said, “The rate of migration of Nigerian nurses between 2003 and 2005 doubles the rate of supply of nurses.”

Within 2007 and 2009, there was a zero rate of growth and today, while the rate at which we turn out nurses and midwives is at 2.6 per cent, the rate of Nigeria population growth is 3.2 per cent.

“The density of nurses’ population ratio is a danger signal. Even the profile of nurses and midwives has shown that the majority of Nigerian nurses in the public service are people who have spent 28-30 years in service. The implication of this is that in about five years’ time, the rate of retirement of nurses will be alarming.”