The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (abbr. NMCN), is the sole governing body that regulates all cadres of

nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ca ...

and midwives in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It was established by government decree in 1979, and re-established as a

parastatal A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

by the government of Nigeria by Act Cap. No 143 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The Council maintains standards of practice, and enforces discipline within the Nigerian nursing profession. It also accredits education in

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

and

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

, awarding certificates and a diploma in midwifery and nursing after a three years programme. The Council is headed by secretary General/Registrar, who is helped by other professional and non-professional staff. They are responsible to a board reporting to the Federal Ministry of Health.

History

Originally founded in 1949 as the Nursing Council of Nigeria, it operated in parallel with the Midwives Board of Nigeria, until a government decree of 1979 which merged the organizations. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria was formally established by decree No. 89, 1979. Adetoun Bailey was the first registrar.

Headquarters and Locations

The council has its headquarters in

Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...

. Other zonal offices are located in

Sokoto Sokoto is a major city located in extreme northwestern Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the c ...

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Region, Nigeria, Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the ...

Bauchi Bauchi (earlier Yakoba) is a city in northeast Nigeria, the Administrative center of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. It is located on the northern edge of the Jos Plateau ...

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Énú ...

, Port Harcourt, and Lagos.

Notable Nurses and Midwives

* ONWUEGBUSI ETHEL * Kofoworola Abeni Pratt * Idowu Philip * Elfrida O. Adebo * Veronica Nnaji * Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola *

Grace Ebun Delano Grace Ebun Delano (born 13 November 1935, in Kaduna) is a nurse and midwife who has played a key role in pioneering family planning and reproductive health services in Nigeria. She co-founded the Association for Reproductive and Family Health of wh ...

References

External links

* Nursing in Nigeria Organizations established in 1979 1979 establishments in Nigeria Organizations established in 2004 2004 establishments in Nigeria Medical and health organizations based in Nigeria Nursing licensing organizations State agencies and parastatals of Nigeria {{Nigeria-org-stub