The House of Representatives has passed a bill for second reading seeking to establish a Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, in a move aimed at expanding healthcare training and addressing the shortage of skilled medical personnel in Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Benjamin Olabinjo, who represents Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency, was considered during plenary on Wednesday.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a specialised institution for professional training, research and continuing education in nursing, midwifery and related healthcare disciplines.
Presenting the bill to lawmakers, Olabinjo said the proposed college would increase the number of qualified nurses and midwives available to hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country.
He expressed concern over the persistent shortage of nursing professionals, noting that the migration of trained Nigerian healthcare workers to countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States had placed additional pressure on the nation’s health system.
According to the lawmaker, hospitals across Nigeria continue to require more nurses and midwives, whose contributions are essential to patient care and the delivery of effective healthcare services.
He warned that Nigeria was losing trained professionals at a rate that made it difficult for existing training institutions to replace them adequately.
Olabinjo maintained that establishing the college would help expand training capacity and produce more healthcare workers to meet the country’s growing needs.
He also pointed out that Lagos, given its large population, required additional opportunities for professional healthcare education to meet increasing demand for qualified personnel.
The lawmaker said the limited availability of federally accredited training spaces had made admission difficult for many aspiring nurses and midwives, even as hospitals continued to experience staffing challenges.
Under the proposed law, the institution would offer professional certificates, diplomas, degrees and post-basic qualifications in nursing, midwifery and related specialisations.
The college would also be empowered to admit students, conduct examinations and research, organise academic programmes and provide continuing education for practising healthcare professionals.
Its proposed administrative structure includes a governing council, a School of Nursing, a School of Midwifery and principal officers responsible for academic and administrative operations.
Olabinjo said the institution would strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly maternal and child health services, by increasing the supply of skilled professionals.
He added that producing more qualified midwives could contribute to reducing preventable maternal and infant deaths, especially in communities where access to skilled birth attendants remains limited.
Beyond its contribution to healthcare, the lawmaker said the college would create educational and employment opportunities for young people in Ifako/Ijaiye and other parts of Lagos State.
He explained that the institution would provide jobs for lecturers, administrative personnel and support workers while creating economic opportunities for businesses in the host community.
Olabinjo argued that providing professional training closer to home would enable more young people to pursue careers in healthcare without bearing the additional cost of relocating to distant institutions.
Appealing to his colleagues to support the proposal, he stressed that improving Nigeria’s healthcare system required sustained investment in the professionals responsible for delivering essential medical services.
He subsequently urged the House to approve the bill’s second reading and refer it to the appropriate committee for further legislative scrutiny before consideration at the third-reading stage.
If the bill is eventually passed by the National Assembly and receives presidential assent, it will provide the legal foundation for establishing the proposed federal institution.
The initiative comes amid continuing concerns over the availability and distribution of skilled healthcare workers in Nigeria, with the migration of professionals to countries offering better pay and working conditions adding to staffing pressures.
Nurses and midwives remain central to primary healthcare, antenatal services, childbirth and postnatal care, making their availability critical to improving maternal and child health outcomes.
However, the proposed college’s eventual contribution will depend on effective implementation, adequate funding, accreditation and the recruitment of qualified teaching personnel.
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