National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives

The union was founded on 8 December 1977, when the Government of Nigeria merged the Nigerian Nurses’ Association with the Nigerian Association of Nurse Anaesthetists. The Professional Association of Trained Nurses of Nigeria, Professional Association of Midwives of Nigeria, Professional Association of Public Health Nurses, Psychiatric Nurses Association and Industrial Nurses Association also joined the new union.

The union affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress, and by 1988 it had 50,000 members. It grew to 100,000 members by 1995, and 125,000 by 2005.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) is a professional-cum trade union organization recognized by the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act of 2005. It is a non-governmental and non-profit organization authorized to organize all professional nurses and midwives who are trained, registered and licensed to practice Nursing Profession at all the levels of the healthcare delivery system both in public and private sectors in Nigeria.

The first organization of nurses in Nigeria is known as the Nigeria Union of Nurses (NUN), which was formed in 1938 and registered in 1943. The union was said to be led by one Mr. Kuti (a nurse) as honorary Secretary General (SG). In 1944, the late Nathaniel Cole was appointed the first General Secretary of the Union. Mr. Cole was later joined by Mr. S. S. O. Ekezie, Mr. Ayoola Adeleke and Mr. Clement Njoku.

In 1957, an organization known as the Professional Association of Trained Nurses of Nigeria (PATNON) was formed at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan by a small group of Nurses who were trained in the United Kingdom. Later in the year, PATNON changed its name to Nigeria Nurses Association (NNA).

Official website: https://www.nannm.com.ng/