The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the FCT Administration to recruit at least 7,000 nurses and midwives into its secondary healthcare facilities to address manpower shortages.
The National President of NANNM, Mr Haruna Mamman, made the call at the 2026 International Nurses Week celebration organised by the FCT Council of the association on Friday in Abuja.
Mamman said staff shortages, excessive workloads and poor working conditions threatened effective healthcare delivery and patient safety.
He said empowering nurses required adequate staffing, improved remuneration, continuous professional development, specialised training and opportunities to participate in health policy decisions.
According to him, nurses should be recognised as autonomous and accountable professionals whose expertise was essential to developing effective health policies.
Mamman urged governments at all levels to implement adequate staffing standards, clear outstanding allowances and promotion arrears, and strengthen measures to protect nurses against workplace violence.
He also called for increased investment in nursing and midwifery institutions, passage of the Safe Staffing and Nursing Workforce Bill, and improved career progression opportunities for practitioners.
Earlier, the Chairman of NANNM FCT Council, Dr Jama Medan, said the territory faced a critical shortage of nurses in spite of its growing population and expanding healthcare needs.
Medan said secondary healthcare facilities in the FCT had fewer than 1,000 nurses, compared with an estimated requirement of more than 8,000.
He added that some nurses attended to as many as 35 patients per shift and worked between 12 and 15 hours daily, instead of the standard eight-hour workday.
The chairman also said more than 300 primary healthcare centres across the FCT’s six area councils had fewer than 100 nurses and midwives providing essential services.
He appealed to the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to approve the recruitment of additional nurses and midwives to strengthen maternal and child healthcare, disease prevention and universal health coverage.
Medan also called for the passage of the bill establishing the FCT College of Nursing Sciences, Gwagwalada, and the constitution of governing boards for the FCT Hospitals Management Board and the FCT Primary Health Care Board.
He commended Wike for the planned renovation and rehabilitation of 14 hospitals, the completion of Jabi Hospital and the procurement of 12 ambulances.
However, he stressed that investment in healthcare infrastructure should be matched with adequate staffing, modern medical equipment, personal protective equipment and improved welfare for nurses and midwives.
Representing Wike, the FCT Head of Service, Mrs Nancy Sabanti, congratulated nurses on the celebration and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to providing conducive working environments and supporting improvements in healthcare delivery.
Sabanti said the theme, “Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” underscored the importance of empowering nurses to deliver safer and more effective healthcare services.
The keynote speaker, Dr Alhassan Ndagi, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mrs Godswill Stella, also emphasised the need to invest in the nursing workforce.
He said nurses played critical roles across the healthcare system, from maternal and newborn care to treating critically ill patients, preventing medical errors and protecting patient safety.
Ndagi identified staff shortages, migration, inadequate resources and demanding working conditions as challenges confronting the profession.
He called for competency-based nursing education, improved clinical training, adequate rest periods, modern healthcare technology and greater involvement of nurses in leadership and policymaking.
He said empowering nurses through education, professional development and improved working conditions would strengthen healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.
The event, held under the theme, “Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” featured the recognition of individuals who had contributed to nursing education, professional development and healthcare delivery.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that International Nurses Week celebrates nurses’ contributions to healthcare and highlights the need to strengthen the profession.
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