From Lagos to London: Colonial Recruitment and Nigerian Nurses in the UK
09 Jul 2026, 18:00 - 19:30
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Join this online talk exploring the UK's recruitment of Nigerian student nurses to address post-war health care shortages from 1940-1960.
Between 1940 and 1960, British nursing institutions actively recruited Nigerian student nurses to address post-war health care shortages.
This talk by historian Mosunmola Ogunmolaji centres on Nigerian applicants’ experiences, tracing the recruitment and application process from advertising and selection to training and placement. It reveals how British institutions leveraged colonial ties to attract Nigerian applicants while reinforcing racial and professional hierarchies.
Header image: Koforowola Abeni Pratt at Nightingale School for Nurses, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, 1947. Pratt was among a generation of Nigerian nurses whose training and careers illuminate the history of nursing recruitment and migration between Nigeria and Britain.
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RCN Library and Museum
rcn.library@rcn.org.uk
0345 337 3368
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Page last updated - 26/06/2026
