The member representing Ekiti West, Ijero and Efon Federal Constituency II, Hon. Biodun Omoleye, has called on the House of Representatives to support a bill seeking the establishment of a Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery in Ijero, Ekiti State.
Leading the debate during the plenary in Abuja, Hon. Omoleye emphasised the urgent need to expand access to professional nursing and midwifery education in Ekiti State, noting that no such federal institution currently exists in the state.
He said the absence of a college has forced many prospective students to travel long distances in search of training opportunities.
The Lawmaker pointed out Nigeria’s growing healthcare workforce crisis, citing data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, which revealed that over 42,000 nurses had left the country in the past three years.
With only 125,000 registered nurses serving over 200 million Nigerians, Omoleye stressed that the current nurse-to-patient ratio in the country remains far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of five nurses per 1,000 people.
“To meet our national health care needs, Nigeria requires at least 800,000 nurses and midwives. Establishing this college would be a strategic step toward closing that gap and strengthening our healthcare system,” he explained.
Hon. Omoleye also posited that the proposed institution would not only improve access to quality training and healthcare delivery but also bring long-awaited federal presence to Ijero and create job opportunities for the teeming youths.
He expressed optimism that the college would award professional certificates, diplomas, degrees and post-basic qualifications while also supporting research and health service development in the region.
Hon. Omoleye, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship, urged his colleagues to support the second reading of the bill, saying the college would serve as a timely intervention for human capital development, public health advancement and equitable distribution of federal institutions across the country.
