UNFPA urges Sokoto students to pursue midwifery careers
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has begun sensitising secondary school students to consider studying nursing and midwifery as career choices for their future across Sokoto State in northern Nigeria.
Mrs Jamila Gatawa, UNFPA Desk Officer in the Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said this during a guidance and counselling talk for adolescent schoolgirls in Sokoto.
Gatawa, also Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department, emphasised that marriage should never prevent girls from getting an education; insisting opportunity and learning must remain accessible to every girl.
“Educated women are the backbone of every healthy society, especially in the healthcare sector. No girl should be denied the chance to learn and succeed,” she said.
She announced that UNFPA, with support from the European Union EU-SARAH Project, would provide scholarships to 500 women and girls under the Community Midwifery Scholarship and Bonding Scheme initiative in Sokoto.
She emphasised that sourcing skilled birth attendants within each community would address worker shortages, noting that importing personnel from other areas often undermined service delivery and limited effective healthcare access locally.
“The two-year initiative was designed for rural areas, hard reach and security affected communities across Sokoto state where deployments of healthcare workers from urban centers become challenges in Sokoto.
“This is a golden opportunity for young women who want to build careers and serve their communities,” she added, pledging government support to ensure fairness and transparency in selecting beneficiaries process.
Earlier, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee, Dr Aliyu Bala-Gadanga, said more young women were needed in the profession to tackle maternal and infant deaths across communities in Sokoto State.
“Midwifery is a noble profession, respected and rewarding, by becoming midwives, you will help save mothers and babies while building a secure future for yourselves,” he told the students.
Bala-Gadanga said that many women still die from complications such as prolonged labour, bleeding, high blood pressure and unsafe abortion, and lauded UNFPA for championing the campaign theme in 2026 widely.
UNFPA Programme Assistant, Mr Benedict Essong, said the programme aimed to reduce maternal deaths, end gender-based violence and help young people reach their full potential through education and health interventions nationwide.
Essong urged students to study hard and meet required subject combinations for admission into midwifery programmes, while stakeholders called for stronger support for girls’ education and increased enrollment in health-related courses.
A lecturer, Malama Rabi Sani, outlined admission requirements and encouraged focus, saying, “Midwifery is more than a career, it is service to humanity. Your communities need you,” he said.
Our Correspondent reports events, held at Government Girls’ College and Hafsatu Ahmadu Bello Model Arabic Secondary School, marked World Midwives’ Day with discussions on family planning and healthcare.