The Federal Government has rolled out a comprehensive national roadmap aimed at strengthening midwifery services and improving maternal and newborn healthcare outcomes across Nigeria.
Speaking at a ministerial press briefing to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Midwife in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government had embarked on deliberate and strategic initiatives to enhance the capacity of midwives and tackle maternal and child mortality nationwide.
Represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Abisola Adegoke, the minister described midwives as the frontline providers of maternal and newborn healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He stressed that no health system could deliver optimal maternal and child healthcare without an adequate number of skilled midwives, noting that they play a critical role in safeguarding the lives of mothers and babies from pregnancy through childbirth and beyond.
Professor Pate disclosed that the ministry had launched the Nigeria Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2025–2030, a national roadmap designed to strengthen education, expand workforce capacity, enhance leadership, and improve service delivery for nurses and midwives.
According to him, the strategy focuses on expanding training institutions, increasing student intake for midwifery programmes, modernising education standards to align with global best practices, creating more employment opportunities, and ensuring equitable deployment of midwives to rural communities.
The minister further stated that the government was prioritising continuous professional development through competency-based training and life-saving skills programmes to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns.
He added that the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) was targeting high-burden areas to ensure that no woman dies during childbirth.
Professor Pate also highlighted other reproductive health interventions, including the Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) programmes, noting that the initiatives were aimed at improving healthcare delivery and national health indices.
Speaking on the 2026 International Day of the Midwife theme, “One Million More Midwives,” the minister described it as timely and significant, saying it underscored the global shortage of midwives, a challenge also affecting Nigeria’s health institutions.
He revealed that the ministry was working with development partners to ensure midwives had access to adequate tools, supplies, and supportive work environments, while also improving welfare, motivation, and retention efforts.
Professor Pate reaffirmed the government’s commitment to scaling up the production of midwives, strengthening primary healthcare systems, investing in digital health solutions, improving working conditions, and deepening community engagement to promote skilled birth attendance.
He commended midwives across the country for their dedication, resilience, and compassion, describing them as the backbone of safe motherhood and healthy families.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, represented by Dr. Okpako Okpikpi, Director of Teaching Hospitals, said the event provided an opportunity to recognise the invaluable contributions of midwives and reflect on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
She noted that midwives remained central to healthcare delivery, providing essential care before, during, and after childbirth, often under difficult conditions.
Kachollom reiterated the ministry’s commitment to supporting midwives through improved training, better working conditions, and sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, while appreciating development partners for their continued support in advancing maternal and child health in Nigeria.
