The Federal Government has unveiled a new national strategy to address Nigeria’s estimated shortage of 30,000 midwives, in a renewed push to curb the country’s high maternal and infant mortality rates.
The plan, titled Nigeria Strategic Direction for Midwifery 2025–2030, was launched in Abuja as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Midwife, according to a statement by the Assistant Director, Press, at the Federal Ministry of Health, Ado Bako, on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the government was implementing “deliberate and strategic initiatives to bridge the gap in shortage of midwives to strengthen the midwifery workforce and improve outcomes for mothers and newborns.”
Represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Abisola Adegoke, Pate said the roadmap would expand training institutions, increase student intake, and modernise midwifery education in line with global standards.
“The Ministry is expanding training institutions and increasing student intake for midwifery programmes, while also standardising and modernising education,” he said.
He added that the strategy would create employment opportunities, remove recruitment bottlenecks, and ensure equitable deployment of midwives, particularly in rural and underserved communities where maternal deaths are most prevalent.
According to the minister, the government will also scale up competency-based training and continuous professional development, while targeting high-burden areas through the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative.
Pate stressed that midwives remain central to the country’s healthcare system.
“No health system can provide optimal maternal and child health services without an
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