Kofoworola Abeni Pratt

Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt Hon. FRCN (1915 – 18 June 1992)

Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt (née Scott) was a pioneering Nigerian nurse, activist, and health official. She was one of the first notable Black nurses to work in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) and later became the first Nigerian-born Chief Nursing Officer in Nigeria. She also served as Vice-President of the International Council of Nurses and Commissioner of Health for Lagos State.

Early Life

Born: 1915, Lagos, Nigeria
Parents: Augustus Alfred Scott and Elizabeth Omowumi Scott (née Johnson)
Ancestry: Great-granddaughter of Chief Taiwo Olowo, a Yoruba nobleman
Education:
- St John's Secondary School
- CMS Girls School, Lagos
- United Missionary College, Ibadan (teacher training)
Career start: Taught at CMS Girls School (1936–1940)
Marriage: Married Eugene Samuel Oluremi Pratt (a pharmacist) on 3 January 1941
Children: Three (one died in infancy)

Nursing Career in the UK

Moved to England: August 1946
Nightingale School of Nursing, St Thomas' Hospital, London
Qualified: 1949 (State Registered Nurse)
Faced racial discrimination during training
Member of the West African Students' Union, advocating for colonial independence
Additional Qualifications:
- Midwifery certificate (1950)
- Tropical Nursing certificate (1951)
- Ward Sister Course – Royal College of Nursing (1952)
Work Experience:
- Evelina Children’s Hospital, Guy’s Hospital (staff nurse)
- St Thomas’ Hospital (charge nurse)

Return to Nigeria

Returned: 1954
Joined University College Hospital, Ibadan
Faced discrimination but gained support from St Thomas’ colleagues
Reformed hospital ward standards at Adeoyo Hospital
Promotions:
- Administrative Sister (1955)
- Deputy Matron (1961)
- Matron (1964) – first Nigerian to hold the post
Established: School of Nursing at University of Ibadan (1965)

Leadership and National Impact

Chief Nursing Officer, Federal Ministry of Health
Commissioner of Health, Lagos State (1973–1975)
President, National Council of Women’s Societies (1971)
Founder:
- Professional Association of Trained Nurses in Nigeria
- Nigerian Nurse (journal, co-editor)

Awards and Honours

1973 – Florence Nightingale Medal, International Committee of the Red Cross
1975 – Chieftaincy title: Iya Ile Agbo of Isheri
1979 – Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Nursing
Honoured by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola and Brig. Mobolaji Johnson

Legacy

Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt broke racial and gender barriers in both the UK and Nigeria. She laid the foundation for modern nursing in Nigeria and fought for professional recognition, equity in healthcare, and the education of nurses.

She passed away on 18 June 1992.

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