WHO, UK donate £3.8m equipment to boost nursing training in Cross River

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has delivered £3.8 million worth of equipment and infrastructure upgrades to nursing training institutions in Cross River State.

The handover took place during the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in Calabar, themed “My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage Through Equity, Resilience, and Innovation.”

The initiative forms part of the Equipment Support for Health Training Institutions (ESHTI) programme, designed to strengthen health education, modernize learning environments and expand Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.

Benefiting institutions include the College of Nursing Ogoja, College of Nursing Obudu, and College of Nursing Calabar.

Items donated range from clinical and laboratory equipment, such as mannequins, diagnostic tools and consumables to ICT devices, smart boards, safety tools, furniture, generators, refrigerators, air conditioners and three buses to support student and staff mobility.

WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, described the support as a major investment in Nigeria’s pursuit of universal health coverage.

He noted that the ESHTI programme would address longstanding gaps in training capacity, especially for nurses and midwives who drive primary healthcare delivery.

“Through the ESHTI project, the UK Government is improving training capacity to produce quality health workers for universal health coverage,” Dr. Ursu stated, adding that the donation complements Cross River State’s ongoing investments in healthcare education.

He encouraged federal and state authorities to recruit more tutors, complete infrastructure projects and boost rural training opportunities to tackle workforce shortages outside major cities.

Head of Health at the FCDO in Nigeria, Juliet Whitley, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the project, emphasizing that ESHTI would expand training capacity across six states, including Cross River.

Head of Human Development and Demography at the British High Commission, Jill Fletcher, added that the programme’s goal was not only to supply equipment but also to support the development of a “skilled and motivated health workforce” for Nigeria.

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, expressed appreciation to the WHO and UK government.

Oder highlighted that the establishment of four Colleges of Nursing across the state forms part of a long-term strategy to strengthen community-level care and human resource development.

“These institutions are pillars of sustainable development that will empower a new generation of healthcare professionals to serve our communities with excellence,” Odey said.

Speaking on behalf of student nurses, Ms. Rosemary Uke thanked the development partners and state authorities, noting that the new equipment would enhance hands-on training, strengthen e-learning and ease challenges related to transportation and power supply.

The WHO and FCDO stated that the donation would directly benefit more than 900 students and instructors across the three institutions.

The upgraded facilities are expected to improve training quality, increase graduation rates and better prepare healthcare workers for service delivery across Nigeria.