At the hospital where I work in Abuja, we have a tradition that whenever a nurse retires or leaves, the whole ward sings for them during the last handover of their final shift. I'm a thirty-nine-year-old senior nurse, and I've been part of this for about twelve years.
It takes place at the end of the person's last shift, usually early in the morning, when the night team hands over to the day team. Everyone gathers at the nurses' station for about ten minutes. Patients who are awake often join in, and sometimes even doctors stop by.
It involves nurses, porters, cleaners and anyone else who's on duty. We sing two or three songs, usually a mix of church songs and popular Nigerian songs in Hausa and Yoruba. Someone gives a short speech, and we present a card signed by the whole team. Last month, when our matron, Mrs Okafor, retired after thirty years, we had to move the gathering into the corridor because so many people came.
This tradition matters because nursing is exhausting and often unappreciated. We work long nights, see a lot of suffering and rarely get thanked. The song is our way of saying that someone's years of hard work meant something. It also builds team spirit. New nurses see how much respect is given to experienced colleagues, and I think it makes them want to stay. Personally, I find it very emotional. When it was my friend Grace's turn, I couldn't sing at all because I was crying. I hope that when I retire, the tradition will still be going.