History of Nigeria Association of Nurse Anaesthetists (NANA).
The Nigeria Association of Nurse Anaesthetists was formed by the first set of graduates of the school of anesthesiology at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria, in 1972, with 14 members. The Military Government, in 1978, restructured all recognized trade unions in the country; as a result, Nurse Anaesthetists were merged in 1980, a newer NANA got underway within the framework of its industrial union, NANNM. At that time, NANA had her executives as Mrs. N. C. Onyegbule, Ag. President-General, while Mr. A. C. U. Nworah was the Ag. General Secretary. These executives successfully organized the First Delegate Conference in Enugu, Nigeria, from 14th to 15th June 1984. At the delegate conference, new executives for the association emerged, as follows:
- Mrs. M. U. Okonkwo= President- General.
- Mr. W. A. Fadairo = 1st Vice President – General
- Mr. A. O. Mustapha = 2nd Vice President – General
- Mr. A. C. U. Nworah = General Secretary.
- Mr. Isa Maitafa= Assistant General Secretary.
- Mrs. M. U. Igboagi= Financial Secretary.
- Mrs. I. O. Orakwe= Treasurer.
- Mr. D. O. Amanze= Publicity Secretary.
- Mr. M. O. Adeleke= Auditor.
Apart from the above pioneer executives, several others have come along in the decades of the NANA existence. It should be stated that NANA has had her fair share of turmoil in line with the characteristics of associations. There had been stalemate in leadership owing to disagreements, rivalries, and varied positions and views. Succour, however, came when NANA in 2008 rose to the challenge and elected a regime that succeeded in restructuring the association from 2000-2008. The regime comprised the following:
- Mr. Amos Ajik= President.
- Mr. Ekanem Mbuk= Deputy President.
- Mr. Clifford Onah= Secretary.
- Mr. Elias Nathan= Assistant Secretary.
- Mrs. Grace EberiKalu= Treasurer.
- Mr. Emmanuel Aigboje= Financial Secretary.
- Mr. D. S. Ransong= PRO.
In 2009, a national caretaker committee was set up charged with the task of holding a delegate conference. In 2010, the delegate conference produced the below-named executives:
- Mallam Saidu Abugi Ibrahim= National Chairman.
- Mr. Israel Akingbade= Vice Chairman.
- Mr. Ejigah, Ogbaje Friday= Secretary.
- Mr. Clifford M. Dalong= Assistant Secretary/PRO.
- Mrs. Mariam Okwudishu= Financial Secretary.
- Mrs. Elizabeth Userigha= Treasurer.
This executive served two terms, till 2018. In the same year, following a delegate conference held in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, a new executive emerged as follows:
- Ejigah, Ogbaje Friday= Chairman.
- Eberikalu Grace= Vice Chairman.
- Clifford M. Dalong= Secretary.
- Marian Okwudishu= Assistant Secretary/PRO.
- Ibrahim A, Mudasiru= Treasurer.
- John Kolo= Financial Secretary.
Following the expiration of their tenure in 2022, a new executive emerged in Lagos Nigeria, as follows:
- Ejigah, Ogbaje Friday= Chairman.
- Eberikalu Grace= Vice Chairman.
- Prince Simon Aganyi= Secretary.
- Sale Nasin= Assistant Secretary/PRO.
- Ayandele Ayanteju= Treasurer.
- John Kolo= Financial Secretary.
The tenure ends in 2026. The association has her bylaws last reviewed in 2011. It is a member of the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists (IFNA) and a specialist group under NANNM (National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives). NANA has chapters in all 36 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory—Abuja.
Vision statement:
To develop, train, and retrain members to acquire skills and expertise that will position them to render effective, efficient, and accessible anaesthesia services in all parts of the federation.
To ensure the life and safety of clients and members.
Aims and Objectives.
- To promote unity and understanding amongst all the Nurse Anaesthetists in the Federation.
- To elevate the practice, moral and ethical standards of anaesthesiology for progress.
- To provide a forum/avenue where Nurse Anaesthetists can speak with one voice.
- To identify, discuss, and find solutions to our current problem and to provide support to any deserving member(s) of the Association as necessary after due and careful study of the matter and where such problem was not as a result of malpractice, negligence, or deliberate refusal to perform duties on the part of the Nurse Anaesthetists.
- To assist the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Schools of Anaesthesiology and Federal Ministry of Health/Government in meaningful planning for policy formulation/implementation for and evaluation of Nurse Anaesthesia and Nurse Anaesthetists development in the Federation.
- To ensure that individual Nurse Anaesthetist maintain membership with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and to participate actively in all NANNM activities being the parent organization to which we rightly belong.
- To effect good, healthy, and enviable interaction between NANA and other specialist bodies of NANNM.
- To be actively involved in matters relating to hours of call duty or allowance, evaluation of job risks, fringe benefits/ wages, and salary grading.
- To encourage continuing education through National Scientific Conferences, paper presentations, journal reviews, and to enlighten the general public on the practice of Anaesthesia.
- To resolve conflicts between members and employers and, when necessary, contact the mother association (NANNM).
- To operate benefit schemes for the members as may be decided by the National Executive Council from time to time.
- To uphold the International Code of the Anaesthetists ethics as enunciated by the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists (IFNA).
PROPELLING EVENTS TOWARDS RECOGNITION OF NURSE ANAESTHESIA IN NIGERIA
Dr. (Mrs.) Dorothy U. Chukwuma told the story in her book ‘NURSE ANAESTHESIA IN NIGERIA: THE Great Health Service Commission’ as follows: “ Professor T. I. Ezi-Ashi presented the case of the Nurse Anaesthesia programme to the Federal Ministry of Health and at the meeting of the Economic Communities of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Health Ministers; the Scope, Roles and need of Nurse Anaesthetists in the West African sub region were extensively discussed. Thereafter, in 1976, the West Africa Health Community Secretariat, Lagos started sponsoring for training, candidates from member countries like Liberia, Ghana, Sierra-Leone, the Gambia including Nigeria. Francophone countries of West Africa such as Cameroon also sent their candidates for training at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. Duration of training was also increased to two academic years (18 months) with two intakes annually in January and July.
Recognizing the contributions of Nurse Anaesthetists in the country’s healthcare system and the importance of the programme, the Federal Ministry of Health in 1984, set up National Ad-Hoc Committee on Nurse Anaesthetists Programme, along the guidelines provided by the West Africa Health Community. The committee came up with the following recommendations which were aimed at sustaining the present and encourage future programme to produce more Nurse Anaesthetists for the sub region.
Recommendation of the National Ad-Hoc Committee on Nurse Anaesthesia Programme.
- There is a definite need for all this cadre of nurses in all our hospitals, particularly the non-teaching hospitals, where surgeries are carried out.
- The Federal Government should give full support to the existing and future institutions training Nurse Anaesthetists.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria should be directed to officially take over the training and registration of this Cadre of Nurses.
- The graduates from the training institutions should be regarded as having acquired additional qualifications for promotion purposes.
- To avoid frustration and stagnation, all hospitals employing Nurse Anaesthetists should make adequate provision in their budgets for this Cadre of Nurses.
Nigeria, by that letter from the Health Minister, finally accepted and included Nurse Anaesthetists among its healthcare service providers. With this great commission practice of anaesthesia by nurses, anaesthesia thus became a recognized specialty within the Nursing profession since their roles as Anaesthetists are meant to aid treatment and recovery and not a cure in itself. They work in the three tiers of hospitals in Nigeria including military, mission, and private hospitals.”
Nurse Anaesthesia and Nurse Anaesthetists have contributed immensely to the health development and sustainability of consistent client care. They run call duties which ensures that emergency surgeries are carried out, greatly reducing mortality to the barest minimum. They provide cardio-pulmonary resuscitation during emergencies in hospital wards. Their availability has guaranteed the training and retraining of other health personnel. Following their constant services, income generation in facilities has grossly increased and sustained. In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, at a time, they were Corp Members of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that were called upon to render services during disasters. Referrals from facility to facility have stopped as a result of their presence in all levels of health facilities.
