Federal Government Approves Centralised Placement System for Nurse Interns
Abuja, 5 February 2026 — In a pivotal advancement for Nigeria’s healthcare sector, the Federal Government has authorised the establishment of a centralised placement framework for nurse interns, ensuring a more streamlined, equitable, and merit-driven process for the essential internship phase required for professional licensure.
The policy was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, at a distinguished ceremony where the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) introduced an array of enhanced training resources and digital innovations, generously supported by esteemed international collaborators.
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This initiative responds directly to enduring concerns among nursing graduates regarding protracted delays, disparate access, and uncertainties in obtaining accredited internship placements—a fundamental requirement for registration and autonomous clinical practice under the NMCN.
Represented by the Director of Human Resource Management, Mrs Tetshoma Dafela, Professor Pate articulated that the centralised system aligns with comprehensive strategies to fortify the nation’s health workforce, with a focused emphasis on elevating skilled birth attendance and mitigating Nigeria’s elevated maternal and neonatal mortality indicators.
He elaborated on the acute deficits in midwifery and nursing personnel, particularly in remote and marginalised regions, and stressed the imperative for enhanced retention mechanisms amidst prevailing trends of professional emigration.
Alhassan Ndagi, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the NMCN, expressed profound appreciation for the endorsement, noting that it has instilled a sense of optimism among nurses and midwives nationwide. He affirmed that operational protocols are presently in the concluding phases of refinement.
The declaration was complemented by the allocation of substantial developmental assistance from global partners:
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has facilitated regulatory advancements, curriculum enhancements, and the acquisition of sophisticated midwifery simulation apparatus for twenty premier Colleges of Nursing Sciences.
- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has underwritten the Electronic Accreditation Management System (EAMS)—a sophisticated platform for real-time analytics and expedited accreditation procedures—alongside the National Preceptorship Manual to uphold exemplary standards in clinical mentorship.
- The World Health Organization (WHO), bolstered by United Kingdom Government contributions, has furnished essential infrastructure such as digital tablets, transportation vehicles, power generators, solar energy solutions, and computational devices to thirteen educational establishments, while offering expert counsel on the Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2025–2030.
- Inputs from Health Information Systems Advisory (HISA) have been synchronised with national directives for nursing, midwifery, and public health nursing curricula.
The gathering also commemorated the formal debut of a meticulously updated nursing and midwifery syllabus, integrating contemporary health dynamics, the escalating prevalence of non-communicable ailments, and state-of-the-art simulation pedagogies.
Muriel Mafuco, UNFPA Nigeria Resident Representative, illuminated the exigency of the endeavour, projecting a need for an additional 70,000 midwives in Nigeria by 2030 to conform to World Health Organization criteria.
Dr Pavel Ursu, WHO Representative in Nigeria (represented by Mary Nana Ama Brantuo), characterised the integrated measures as “a landmark achievement” in cultivating a resilient, proficient, and optimally allocated nursing and midwifery cadre to propel Universal Health Coverage forward.
The centralised placement paradigm is anticipated to diminish dependence on ad hoc institutional protocols, thereby promoting enhanced impartiality and competency-based allocations for internship opportunities.
We remain committed to vigilant oversight of this policy’s evolution and deployment, and shall disseminate pertinent updates on procedural requisites, chronologies, and ancillary directives as promulgated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
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