Registrar laments dearth of Nursing Schools in Northern Nigeria

Faruk Umar, the registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, has expressed worry over the shortage of nursing schools in the northern states.

Umar told newsmen in Abuja that more nursing schools are needed in order to provide manpower for adequate healthcare in the states.

He said the council was willing and ready to provide timely accreditation as long as the school meets up with the human and infrastructural requirements.

Umar further disclosed that there was need for more nurses and midwives to work in the communities, adding that this can be achieved when more indigenes were trained in such institutions.

“There were 126 nursing and midwifery schools in the South and 83 in the North,” he said.

“There is the need for well to do individuals and faith organizations in the North to establish hospitals, which would in turn help in the establishment of nursing and midwifery institutions.”

He said there were 173,574 registered nurses, and 114,468 midwives registered by the council as at Thursday last week making a total of 288,042 nurses and midwives.