Published: May 8, 2026
MONROVIA — The Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery has warned that a proliferation of illegal nursing and midwifery schools is producing unqualified graduates who pose a direct threat to public health, and said Thursday it is preparing documentation to engage the Ministry of Justice in shutting the institutions down.
LBNM Registrar Cecelia C. Kpangbala-Flomo, speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, said schools operating outside the Board’s accreditation system are considered illegal and that graduates from such institutions are not recognized by the LBNM and cannot sit the National State Board Examination. “These unauthorized schools produce unqualified graduates and pose a significant threat to public health and national security,” she said.
The warning comes as the Board moves to tighten a regulatory framework that currently covers 26 accredited nursing and midwifery schools, 16,774 registered nurses, 6,923 registered midwives and 4,625 students indexed since 2023. Accreditation assessments evaluate governance, infrastructure, classroom instruction, practical training and skills laboratories, with compliance guided by the revised 2025 Nursing and Midwifery Education Policy.
Central to the Board’s oversight is an indexing system that assigns each qualifying student a unique regulatory identification number used to verify demographic and academic records, determine eligibility for the licensing examination and generate data for national health workforce planning. Only graduates from institutions listed in the LBNM’s official announcements and on its website are permitted to be indexed and sit the licensing exam.
Kpangbala-Flomo said practicing without a valid license is unlawful and warned that licenses must be renewed every two years. Even accredited institutions are not exempt from scrutiny. She said some recognized schools continue to struggle with maintaining standards and that the Board conducts regular compliance visits, spot checks and monitoring exercises. “Institutions that fail to uphold these standards are placed on probation or may have their accreditation suspended until deficiencies are corrected,” she said.
The LBNM is also undertaking broader institutional reforms. The Board is constructing its first permanent headquarters complex and has moved most of its services to a secure online portal as part of a digital modernization drive. Key regulatory policies covering education standards, indexing procedures and professional practice guidelines have also been revised.
Kpangbala-Flomo urged employers to verify the credentials of healthcare workers before hiring and called on prospective students and parents to confirm accreditation status before enrolling in any nursing or midwifery program. She asked members of the public to report suspected illegal practice or unlicensed institutions to the LBNM or law enforcement. “Our mission is to protect public health and safety by ensuring that all nurses and midwives are competent and ethical practitioners,” she said. “Our nation’s health depends on it.”
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