Nigeria's federal government has doubled annual nursing school admissions from 20,000 to 50,000 students to address a critical shortage of healthcare workers. The expansion aims to strengthen the national health system amid rising demand for medical services and persistent workforce gaps. The announcement by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa highlights the government's commitment to rebuilding Nigeria's health workforce, which has been severely impacted by years of underinvestment and brain drain.
Nigeria's federal government has significantly increased annual admissions into nursing schools, doubling the intake from approximately 20,000 to 50,000 students. The announcement was made by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa during a press briefing on Sunday, marking a major step in addressing the country's severe shortage of healthcare professionals.
The expansion comes as Nigeria faces one of its most critical health workforce crises in decades. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria has one of the lowest doctor to patient ratios in the world, with just 0.36 doctors per 1,000 people compared to the WHO recommended minimum of 1 doctor per 1,000 people. The nursing shortage is equally alarming, with the country producing fewer than half the number of nurses needed annually to meet basic healthcare demands.
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