BREAKING: Tinubu’s Govt Mentions Number of Doctors Who Have Japa and How Much Nigeria Has Lost Over 5 Years
The Federal Government has disclosed that more than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have emigrated over the past five to seven years in pursuit of better opportunities abroad, resulting in significant financial and human resource losses to the country’s health sector.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, made this known on Tuesday during the 7th Annual Capacity Building Workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA), which took place in Abuja.
The theme of the event was “Integrated Healthcare Regulation and Leadership in Building Resilient Health Systems.”
A Health System Under Pressure
Professor Pate expressed concern over the growing trend of Nigerian healthcare professionals—particularly doctors, nurses, and midwives—relocating abroad.
He revealed that Nigeria’s current doctor-to-population ratio stands at 3.9 per 10,000 people, far below the global minimum standard recommended by international health bodies.
“In just the past five to seven years, over 16,000 doctors are estimated to have left Nigeria. The exodus also includes many nurses and midwives, further reducing our already stretched workforce,” he said.
He further noted that the cost of training a single doctor exceeds $21,000, underscoring the enormous fiscal burden that the country faces when trained professionals emigrate.
“This represents not only a loss of personnel but also a loss of investment. Our rural areas, in particular, have been left critically underserved as a result,” Pate stated.
Push and Pull: Why They’re Leaving
According to the minister, multiple factors are contributing to the migration, including the lure of improved working conditions, better remuneration, advanced training opportunities, and more robust research environments in foreign countries.
“Although the migration of health professionals from lower-income nations is not a new occurrence, it has clearly accelerated in recent years. These individuals are seeking environments where their talents are better rewarded,” he explained.
However, he maintained that the trend presents an opportunity to rethink and reform health workforce policies in Nigeria.
A New Direction Under Renewed Hope
Professor Pate announced that under the Renewed Hope Agenda led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the government is pursuing a fresh approach to manage healthcare migration.
Tinubu, he noted, was recently named the African Union’s Continental Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery.
“We are now taking a data-driven and evidence-based approach. Our National Policy on Health Workforce Migration is central to this. It does not aim to restrict movement but seeks to manage it responsibly, with dignity and fairness to all stakeholders involved,” Pate explained.
A call for continental unity
Professor Pate urged African nations to come together to establish a pan-African compact on health workforce mobility, which would include harmonised training and accreditation standards, joint planning tools, and collaborative negotiations with receiving countries.
“This is the moment for Africa to lead. We must invest in our people and set up structures that ensure we are not continually depleted of our healthcare talent,” he said.
