By Jelili Gbadamosi
Nurses at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, have called for urgent government intervention to address poor working conditions, inadequate resources and the growing challenge of retaining skilled psychiatric nurses in the country.
The call was made during the hospital’s 2026 Nurses’ Week celebration, organised by the Department of Nursing in collaboration with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, FPH Yaba.
The event, themed “Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” brought attention to the demanding responsibilities of nurses working in psychiatric healthcare and the need for greater investment in the profession.
Speaking at the event, the keynote speaker, Prof. Adeshina Badru, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Lagos, described nurses as the “heartbeat of the healthcare system,” stressing that psychiatric nurses perform critical duties that require specialised skills and adequate support.
Badru noted that psychiatric nurses are often involved in suicide prevention, management of acute psychosis and providing support to patients and their families.
He said the demanding nature of the job required government to provide adequate funding, modern equipment, technology and sufficient personnel.
According to him, nurses cannot deliver effective therapeutic care when they operate in overcrowded or unsafe environments.
The Head of Nursing Services, Mrs Alonge Kehinde, similarly called for increased investment in nurses’ professional development, leadership opportunities and improved working conditions.
She said empowering nurses would improve patient safety and strengthen the healthcare system.
The Local Organising Committee chairman, Nurse Olawale Adegoke Taiwo, also raised concerns over the migration of Nigerian nurses, urging government, non-governmental organisations and individuals to support efforts to retain professionals in the country.
Taiwo said improved remuneration, working conditions and recognition of nurses were necessary to ensure that trained professionals remained in the health sector.
“We want our nurses here to be well-defined, to be able to work and have that dignity of labour,” he said.
The nurses stressed that improving their welfare was not only a matter of professional benefits but also essential to ensuring quality psychiatric care and protecting patients who depend on specialised mental health services.
