Nigeria faces a shortage of skilled health care workers, worsened by gaps in tutor training, low professional development opportunities, and inadequate institutional resources at pre-service health training institutions. These deficiencies contribute to poor quality training and high student dropout rates.

This technical brief examines the challenges of addressing Nigeria’s health care workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The USAID/Nigeria Health Workforce Management (HWM) Activity, led by Banyan Global, adopts a systems thinking approach to enhance tutor capacity within pre-service health training institutions. This initiative aims to ensure high-quality training for primary health care workers such as nurses, midwives, and community health extension workers. By addressing interconnected factors like tutor competencies, professional development, and institutional support, HWM’s approach enables comprehensive and sustainable solutions.