Council worries over falling midwife numbers

Deficiencies in training, deployment and retention of midwives has opened up shortages in the number of midwives actually working in health centres around the country. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, which regulates both professions, had 110,367 midwives registered by April 2016, but it is not certain how many of them are in practice. […]

Deficiencies in training, deployment and retention of midwives has opened up shortages in the number of midwives actually working in health centres around the country.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, which regulates both professions, had 110,367 midwives registered by April 2016, but it is not certain how many of them are in practice.

And a great proportion of more than 3,000 midwives who graduate annually from schools that teach community, basic and post-basic training and universities remain out of work for up to 10 years, according to Alheri Yusuf, deputy registrar of the council.