By Admin
As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the 2026 International Day of the Midwife with the theme “One Million More Midwives”, key health stakeholders have demanded for increased investment in the training, retention and welfare of midwives, warning that the country cannot reduce maternal and newborn deaths without rapidly expanding its skilled birth workforce.
Making the call in Lagos during 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, decried the shortage of midwives, saying it has become a major threat to safe pregnancy, safe delivery and postnatal care.
Adeboboye, who said midwives remain central to maternal and child survival, called for greater investment in midwifery education, improved infrastructure and stronger welfare packages to make the profession more attractive.
“We are short of midwives, we need more midwives because they are critical to safe pregnancy, safe delivery, and the postpartum period. This is why we are advocating, locally and globally, for greater investment in midwifery.
“We need more midwifery colleges, and more training institutions. We need to produce more midwives at university level and at every level where midwives can be trained. We are advocating for more midwives, better empowerment for midwives, and better infrastructure,” she said.
Adeboboye argued that achieving the maternal and child health targets under the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 would require stronger partnerships between government, professional bodies and development partners.
On the challenge of brain drain, she called for urgent expansion of training opportunities through more midwifery colleges and increased production of midwives at both university and professional levels, focusing on retaining those already in the system.
“When we train people, we are not training them to leave, although it is a free world and people can go wherever they choose, but there must be retention strategies that make them feel they can stay and contribute to their country.
“Midwives are specialists, yet there is no specialist allowance for them. If specialists are paid according to their expertise, then midwives should also be properly compensated for the specialised work they do.
“Midwives working in rural and riverine communities should have access to good housing, accommodation, and transportation. We have communities behind the waterways, and people there still need skilled birth attendants. We must think beyond incentives. We must create conditions that attract, retain, and encourage midwives,” she said.
The Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ismail Abdulsalam, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oladipo Oluwaloni, the call for one million more midwives could not have come at a better time.
“Nigeria, as one of Africa’s most populous countries, still faces a high maternal mortality rate. The Federal Government and Lagos State Government are making efforts to reduce this. Lagos State has been proactive over the years through maternal and child health centres across the state, as well as through the general hospitals. We also advocate greater investment in the education and training of more midwives.
“The Governor of Lagos State, together with the Ministry of Health and the House of Assembly, has approved the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences, aimed at producing more doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals.
“The Lagos State government is also trying to encourage workers. Recently, the Governor approved a ₦50,000 wage award for civil servants, but beyond remuneration, we must also provide an enabling environment for midwives to work.
“We want to reduce maternal mortality, perinatal mortality, infant mortality, and deaths related to childbirth; we also need stronger public-private partnerships. Through corporate social responsibility, the private sector can support government efforts because the government cannot do everything.
The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator on the BOOST Project with Save the Children International, Dr. Itunu Dave-Agboola, remarked that Lagos State was reducing maternal and child mortality over the years.
“But there is still much more to do. We continue to experience serious brain drain in the health sector, and we appeal to the government to do more to attract and retain skilled professionals. Inadequate human resources make the work overwhelming for nurses and midwives. They are overworked and under pressure,” she said.
Urging government to take stronger action against quackery she lamented that quacks continue to deceive mothers and families, and lives are being lost because of it.
“We appeal for increased domestic resource mobilization for routine immunisation and maternal and child health. Many children are still dying from preventable diseases, especially in hard-to-reach and riverine communities, we must ensure that they too have access to quality healthcare services,” she said.
