Sigma is proud to officially welcome Alpha Alpha Upsilon Chapter at Obafemi Awolowo University—the first stand-alone chapter in Nigeria. Although Tau Lambda at-Large Chapter added Babcock University in Ikenne, Nigeria, to its at-large charter in 2015, Obafemi Awolowo University is the first independent Sigma chapter in Nigeria. We’re thrilled that Babcock University will also charter its own chapter on 7 December.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and by extension, the country with the largest nursing workforce. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, there are over 250,000 nurses across the country and 290 nursing schools, out of which 34 schools run baccalaureate programs. There is a quest for education among Nigerian nurses; hence, many universities are running MSN and PhD programs in nursing. However, as a result of inflation and poor working conditions, many Nigerian nurses are moving out of the country to nations like the United Kingdom, the US, and Canada.
The healthcare industry in Nigeria is evolving. There many private organizations and individuals providing healthcare services to the masses, and they regularly work to improve their healthcare services to meet globally accepted standards. However, the public healthcare institution is facing challenges, and this has affected their output.
Alpha Alpha Upsilon Chapter members hope to contribute significantly to improving the health of Nigerian citizens by regularly organizing capacity building programs to update both the research and clinical knowledge and skills of nurses. They will also establish mentoring and coaching programs for members and encourage them to get involved in community health outreach to promote the health of the Nigerian people. The chapter plans to have many activities in the future—one of which will be an annual Sigma week that will incorporate an induction ceremony, research fair, community outreach event, and award ceremony. They are excited about this event to showcase and reward nurses for their work.
Overall, Alpha Alpha Upsilon Chapter members look forward to more international collaboration, student and staff exchange programs through Sigma, and capacity building in the establishment of Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner programs in Nigeria.
Welcome to the Sigma family, Alpha Alpha Upsilon Chapter!