The recognition of nursing as a profession carries with it a corresponding obligation to protect the public through appropriate legislation, regulation, education and discipline. As nursing responsibilities expand within Nigeria's changing health system, clear standards are required to determine who may practise, the education necessary for registration, the responsibilities attached to professional titles and the mechanisms through which unsafe or unethical practice is addressed. This paper examines the purposes of nursing legislation and professional regulation in Nigeria and considers the respective responsibilities of government, the nursing regulatory authority, educational institutions, employers, professional organizations and individual nurses. Particular attention is given to registration, educational standards, scope of practice, professional misconduct, continuing competence, quackery and unauthorized practice, record keeping and the relationship between regulation and professional autonomy. The paper argues that regulation should neither be viewed merely as bureaucratic control nor used to protect professional privilege. Its primary purpose is the safety and confidence of the public. Strong regulation, accompanied by sound education and professional accountability, is essential to the advancement of Nigerian nursing.