Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi has donated ₦20 million to the Annunciation Hospital College of Nursing Sciences in Emene, Enugu State, bringing his total contribution to the institution to ₦120 million.
The funds are expected to support the completion of laboratories and lecture facilities at the faith-based institution, which the Daughters of Divine Love Congregation owns.
“We cannot build a truly prosperous nation without prioritising these critical areas of development. The journey to a New Nigeria must be anchored on education, healthcare, and poverty eradication” Obi said.
According to the congregation’s superior general, Rev. Sr. Mary Judith Madueke, the college plans to admit its first 150 students in 2026, pending accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
She said the support would help address long construction delays caused by rising costs and limited local funding.
Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has made similar donations to health and education institutions across the country.
His recent tour of the southeast included a ₦15 million donation to Our Lady of Lourdes College of Nursing Sciences in Ihiala, Anambra, and ₦10 million to the Anglican School of Nursing in Oji River, Enugu State.
Nigeria continues to face a severe health workforce deficit, with more than 5,000 nurses leaving the country annually for better-paying jobs abroad.
According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria has only one nurse for every 1,500 citizens, which is far below the recommended ratio of one nurse to 400 citizens.
The shortage has strained hospitals and worsened access to basic healthcare, particularly in rural communities.
The federal government has said it is working to expand nursing and midwifery training programmes across the country to meet the demand.
In March, Health Minister Tunji Alausa announced plans to upgrade 46 federal nursing schools and introduce incentives to retain health professionals, including higher pay and improved working conditions.
Faith-based institutions have increasingly stepped in to bridge the gap. The Annunciation Hospital College of Nursing Sciences, an affiliate of Annunciation Specialist Hospital, is one of several new private initiatives aimed at improving training and retaining skilled health workers within Nigeria.
Obi similarly has intervened in education and health infrastructure since leaving office in 2014. In July 2025, he contributed ₦15 million to St Philomena’s Hospital School of Nursing in Benin City and another ₦15 million to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital’s Faculty of Dentistry.
The Daughters of Divine Love said construction materials for the college’s auditorium were expected to arrive next week, while full accreditation could be secured by early 2026.
The donation comes amid renewed debate over Nigeria’s healthcare brain drain and government efforts to restrict the emigration of medical workers.
In 2024, lawmakers proposed a controversial bill requiring doctors to work at home for five years before obtaining licences to practise abroad, a measure widely criticised by unions as a restriction of labour rights.
