Nigeria: Strengthening Nigeria's Health Workforce to Prevent Maternal and Child Deaths

What the report says

Nigeria is not short of maternal and child health policies, according to a Nigeria Health Watch piece distributed by AllAfrica; the bigger problem is a shortage of skilled health workers and uneven deployment. The article says the country still lacks enough midwives, nurses and obstetricians to translate commitments into care, especially in primary health facilities and underserved areas.

The discussion was framed by sessions at the 2025 World Health Summit in Berlin, where African health workforce gaps were a major theme. The report cites World Health Organization figures showing that Africa carries a much larger share of the global disease burden than its share of the workforce, and that Nigeria remains among the countries most affected by maternal mortality. It also notes that many trained health workers are unemployed or underemployed even as facilities remain understaffed, pointing to weak planning, pay, and health budgets as part of the problem.

The article also highlights migration of Nigerian doctors and nurses to richer countries, a trend commonly called “Japa” in Nigeria. It says this outflow is driven by poor working conditions at home and active recruitment abroad. Speakers at the summit argued that solutions should include better pay, career paths, stronger supervision, task-sharing, and more community-based care, rather than relying only on training more staff.

The piece says midwifery-led care remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, but it needs stable funding and accountability. Nigeria is presented as having the policy base and evidence to act, with the main challenge being implementation and retention of the workforce.