School Health Services in Nigeria: A Systematic Review (2014-2024)

School Health Services (SHS) is a vital component of school health programmes, supporting the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health, education, and gender equality. Despite the launch of Nigeria’s National Guideline for SHS implementation in 2006, literature on SHS remains scarce. This systematic review, conducted between 2014 and 2024, followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P). Data extraction included author details, study location, objectives, methodology, and key findings. An initial search yielded 5,225 articles, which were screened for duplicates and out-of-scope studies, reducing the number to 985. Further screening based on title and abstract narrowed it down to 187 articles, of which only 34 fell within the specified timeframe. After a final assessment, only 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, indicating a significant gap in research on SHS in Nigeria. Findings revealed a regional disparity, with 69.2% of the studies conducted in the southern states, 23.1% in the northern states, and 7.7% in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). One study covered three states (Edo, Lagos, and Delta), while most were conducted in state metropolises (53.8%) and local government areas (30.8%). Given this research gap, it is recommended that health authorities advocate for the development and implementation of SHS policies across all governance levels. Additionally, nursing curricula should be updated to equip practitioners with the necessary skills, and state and local governments, alongside private school proprietors, must strategies for adequate SHS resource allocation. Keywords: School health services, primary schools, availability, quality, utilization, Nigeria,