Fellow Nurses Africa | Lagos, Nigeria | 14 September 2025
The Kano State Government has withdrawn the controversial appointment of Shehu Bello Kabara PhD as Deputy Provost of the College of Nursing Sciences, following intense pressure from nursing professionals and activists.
The withdrawal was announced through official communications following sustained criticism from the nursing community. The decision comes barely two weeks after the initial appointment was made effective September 1, 2025.
The original appointment of Kabara, a sociology graduate, had sparked immediate outrage within the nursing community for violating Section 16(3) of the Kano State College of Nursing Sciences Bill 2024. According to nursing professionals and legal experts, the appointment clearly contravene the statutory requirements established for the position.
The law specifically requires that a Deputy Provost must be a registered nurse or midwife, hold a Master’s degree in nursing, have at least 15 years of post-registration experience as a nurse or midwifery tutor, and be at least a senior lecturer. Kabara, despite holding a PhD in sociology, did not meet any of these statutory nursing qualifications.
The swift withdrawal represents a significant victory for nursing professionals who have long fought against political interference in professional appointments within Nigeria’s healthcare sector. Professional nursing organizations have welcomed the decision as evidence that professional advocacy and adherence to established laws can prevail over political appointments that disregard statutory requirements.
The nursing community continues to call for vigilance in protecting professional standards and ensuring that all future appointments to nursing education leadership positions meet statutory requirements. The Kano State Government is expected to initiate a new appointment process that will ensure compliance with the College of Nursing Sciences Bill 2024 requirements.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare sector regarding political interference in professional appointments, while demonstrating the power of organized professional advocacy in protecting institutional integrity.
This story represents a follow-up to the original report published on September 13, 2025, regarding the controversial appointment of a non-nurse to a senior nursing education position.
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