Nurses Across the Borders Executive President commends Health Minister’s reforms, highlights systemic challenges

Cyriacus Nnaji:

Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon, Executive President and CEO of Nurses Across the Borders International, offered a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s health sector during a recent interview on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM. The discussion, part of the 2025 Nigerians in Diaspora Day Celebration, focused on nursing, governance, and the performance of the current administration.

Acknowledging the Macro-Economic Context

Mr. Omoragbon began by contextualising the government’s performance within Nigeria’s broader economic challenges. He noted that the administration inherited a system facing deep-seated, chronic issues rather than simple acute problems. He said “It’s important to recognise that this government took office during a period of significant economic difficulty,” Omoragbon stated. “The challenges we face are systemic and have accumulated over many years. While the government is rightly held accountable, it is also fair to acknowledge the complex situation it is working to improve.”

He further commended the Federal Government for significantly increasing monthly revenue allocations to states and urged state governments to reciprocate with transparent, people-oriented projects. “The increased financial support is a positive step from the federal level. The focus must now be on ensuring these resources directly benefit citizens at the grassroots,” he added.

Praise for Minister of Health, Prof. Pate

A significant portion of the interview was dedicated to applauding the efforts of the Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate. Omoragbon awarded the Minister a 75% performance rating, citing decisive action and a collaborative approach.

“Professor Pate has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to reforming Nigeria’s healthcare system,” Omoragbon said. “Unlike some of his predecessors, he has actively engaged with all major stakeholders. His visit to the National Association of Nurses and Midwives to listen to their concerns firsthand is a testament to his inclusive leadership.”

He highlighted several key achievements: The Nigerian Health Sector Investment Initiative: A comprehensive plan to overhaul the health system based on four pillars: effective governance, a quality health system, unlocking the health value chain, and health security.

Revitalisation of Primary Healthcare:  A dedicated effort to ensure every local government, and eventually every ward, has a functional and well-equipped Primary Health Centre.

Ethical Migration Framework:  The establishment of a committee to develop a policy for the ethical migration of healthcare workers, addressing the brain drain in a structured manner.

Omoragbon shared a specific success story: “After years of advocacy since 2009, it was under Minister Pate’s leadership that our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was approved. This has enabled us to partner with international organisations like Dataflow and the World Continuing Education Alliance to offer Nigeria a digital platform for managing ethical labour migration—a service valued at $500 million—completely free of charge.”

Addressing Long-Standing Issues in Nursing:

The conversation then turned to critical issues specific to the nursing profession. Omoragbon pointed to a 45-year-old ruling by the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP Award of 1980) that declared nursing a unique, autonomous profession (sui generis) on par with medicine and pharmacy. “The core issue is the lack of a Directorate of Nursing at the Federal Ministry of Health,” he explained. “While every state in Nigeria has a Director of Nursing, the federal level still houses nursing within a ‘division’ under a Directorate of Hospital Services, which is typically led by a medical doctor. This structure prevents nursing from having autonomous decision-making power and direct access to the Minister, stifling policy development tailored to the profession’s needs.”

He argued that this autonomy is crucial for professional growth, policy formulation, and ultimately, improving patient care. “Nurses are the backbone of any healthcare system. Granting this autonomy is not just about career progression for nurses; it’s about empowering the largest group of health professionals to design the policies that will most effectively serve the Nigerian people.”

Conclusion: A Call for Collaborative Progress

In closing, Omoragbon reinforced his support for the Minister’s current trajectory while calling for deeper systemic reforms. He expressed hope that the Minister’s proactive approach would eventually lead to addressing foundational issues like the Nursing Directorate. “The Minister is doing an excellent job with the information and structure available to him,” Omoragbon concluded. “We are optimistic that his leadership will continue to break down barriers and foster a more equitable, efficient, and professional healthcare environment for all Nigerians.”

About Nurses Across the Borders International: Nurses Across the Borders International is a non-governmental organisation focused on promoting health, humanitarianism, and sustainable development through the capacity building of nurses and other healthcare professionals. The first NGO from Nigeria to be granted Observer Status by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change-UNFCCC 2004

Pastor Peters Osawaru OMORAGBON

-Executive President/CEO Nurses Across the Borders Humanitarian Initiative-(an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations-ECOSOC)

-First Nigerian United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Designated Contact Person-since 2004

–Permanent United Nations Representative for Nurses Across the Borders-since 2005

-Director for International Liaison, Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association, United Kingdom-NNCA-UK).

-President, Diaspora Nurses Association of Nigeria-DNAN

-Fellow Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers-ICANN-Since 2010

-Fellow Federal University of Petroleum Resources Centre for Sustainable Development   (FUPRECSD)

–Fellow, Open Society Institute-Budapest

–General Secretary, Civil Society Network of NGOs on Climate Change

-Board Member-Conference of NGOS in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations-CONGO

-Member Steering Committee Regional Committee for Africa-CONGO

-Fellow Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers-ICANN

-Treasurer-Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom-CANUK 2013-2015

-Financial Secretary, Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom-CANUK 2015-2017.