By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has unveiled a series of deliberate and strategic interventions aimed at strengthening midwifery and improving maternal and child health outcomes across Nigeria.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the 2026 International Day of the Midwife celebration.

Represented by Dr. Abisola Adegoke, Director of Hospital Services, Pate said the ministry is prioritising the production of highly skilled midwives to meet growing healthcare demands.

He revealed that the government has launched the Nigeria Strategic Direction for Midwifery 2025–2030, a comprehensive roadmap designed to enhance midwifery education, expand workforce capacity, and strengthen leadership and service delivery systems.

According to him, the initiative includes expanding training institutions, increasing student intake, and modernising midwifery education to align with global best practices.

The strategy is also expected to create employment opportunities, remove recruitment barriers, and ensure equitable deployment of midwives, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

“The Ministry has prioritised continuous professional development by investing in competency-based training and life-saving skills to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns,” he said.

Pate added that the government is targeting high-burden areas through the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative (MAMI), stressing that this year’s theme, “One Million More Midwives,” underscores the urgent need to address the global and local shortage of midwives.

“Midwives play an indispensable role in safeguarding lives, providing care from pregnancy through childbirth and beyond.

No health system can deliver optimal maternal and child healthcare without an adequate number of skilled midwives,” he stressed.

Earlier, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria ,NMCN, Dr. Ndagi Alhassan, emphasised the need for Nigeria to invest heavily in quality education to build a technically competent and globally competitive midwifery workforce.

He noted that empowering midwives through proper training, leadership opportunities, and supportive policies would significantly improve healthcare outcomes.

“When a midwife is well-supported and empowered, she saves lives, reduces mortality, and builds healthier communities,” he said, adding that no community should be left without access to skilled birth attendants.

Alhassan further highlighted Nigeria’s troubling maternal and infant mortality statistics, citing data from the World Health Organisation,WHO, and World Bank which indicate that one in every four maternal deaths globally occurs in Nigeria.

Also speaking, President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives,NANNM, Mr. Haruna Mamman, decried the acute shortage of midwives in the country. Represented by the FCT Chairman, Mr. Jama Medan, he disclosed that Nigeria currently faces a deficit of about 30,000 midwives.

He attributed the gap to underfunded training programmes and inadequate resources, urging the Federal Capital Territory Administration ,FCTA, to improve the welfare of midwives and invest in quality education.

Mamman maintained that addressing these challenges would significantly reduce maternal mortality and strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.