Heroes in Scrubs: Kofoworola Abeni Pratt

Kofoworola Abeni Pratt (1915-1992) was a trailblazer in nursing, becoming the first black nurse to serve in Britain’s National Health Service and a pioneer of nursing in post-independence Nigeria.

Born into a prominent Lagos family of early Christian converts, Kofoworola Abeni Scott received a strong education at a Church Missionary Society girls’ school. Inspired by figures like Florence Nightingale, she aspired to become a nurse. However, her father considered nursing an unsuitable profession for his daughter, so she pursued a career in teaching instead. She taught for several years at the United Missionary College in Ibadan, Nigeria.

In 1941, Kofoworola married Eugene Samuel Oluremi Pratt, a Nigerian pharmacist who shared her Christian faith and supported her dream of becoming a nurse. He later studied medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.

In 1946, Kofoworola began her nursing studies at the Nightingale School at St Thomas’ Hospital, becoming the first black person to do so. She qualified as a state-registered nurse in 1950 and worked in the NHS for the next four years.

Returning to Nigeria in 1954, Kofoworola’s career flourished after Nigeria’s independence in 1960. She became the first black matron at University College Hospital in Ibadan and, in 1965, was appointed Nigeria’s Chief Nursing Officer.

Kofoworola Pratt went on to serve as the vice-president of the International Council of Nurses and later became Health Commissioner in Lagos, where she helped establish health services for remote villages by outfitting boats. She also played a key role in improving nursing standards, which led to the creation of the new nurses’ residence, “Nurses’ Hilton,” a promise previously unfulfilled by past administrations. She made history as the first nurse to hold the position of Minister of Health in Nigeria.

Throughout her career, Kofoworola earned numerous honors, including being made a chief, receiving the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. She was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal and became a fellow of both the Royal College of Nursing and the West African College of Nursing.