The federal government has introduced a strategy to retain healthcare professionals by offering credit facilities and tax holidays to investors, as part of a broader effort to strengthen local medical practice, according to a policy document obtained by Businessday.
This new national policy on health workforce migration aims to create a more supportive environment for healthcare workers by improving infrastructure and working conditions. The initiative is designed to reduce the appeal of opportunities abroad for Nigerian health professionals and encourage those in the diaspora to return home.
To address the challenges posed by the migration of healthcare workers, the policy employs a multi-faceted approach. It includes incentives, security measures, capacity-building programs, education and training initiatives, health diplomacy, research projects, governance and leadership strategies, as well as comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems.
As outlined in the policy, federal and state governments will develop special incentive programs for healthcare workers serving in rural and underserved areas. Additionally, the health and finance ministries will collaborate to provide special credit facilities and tax holidays, aimed at encouraging health workers and investors to establish functional private healthcare centers.
Furthermore, the government and relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) will implement special mortgage facilities to help healthcare workers acquire homes, cars, and other essential assets.
The federal and state ministries of health, in collaboration with the offices of the head of the civil service as well as the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission will ensure periodic review of healthcare workers’ salaries, benefits, pensions, and allowances.
Governments at both levels will also ensure the provision of adequate equipment and supplies that will make working conditions encouraging.
Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s minister of health and social welfare, said the policy strikes a balance between the need for professionals to seek where they can advance and improve themselves and the need of the health system to deliver quality services to Nigerians, during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday.
“We don’t expect it to disappear overnight, but how can we as a government balance these two competing priorities? Half of 17,000 doctors trained in the last five years have left. This policy aims to retain them while making it easier for those who have gone to return and overtime for our health system to provide less push for them to leave despite the pull from the advanced countries that are using them as economic migrants to some extent,” Pate explained.
“How do you provide non-monetary incentives as well as monetary incentives to allow folks who are health workers serve in the rural areas more? Whether it is credit for cars, mortgage or other mechanisms that will make their lives comfortable we need to provide. We will also be dealing with the allowances and packages of service. This is something that we will work with the Service and Wages Commission and other relevant parties to see that there is improvement.”
The policy document further says that the capacity development of human resources for health will be approached on three levels: individual, organisational, and societal levels.
The idea is that strengthening local training institutions and providing opportunities for professional development and career advancement, in partnership with destination countries, can incentivise healthcare workers.
Chris Isokpunwu, director, Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the policy is a collaborative effort of health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders who shared insights and expertise during consultations, workshops, and discussions.
Healthcare workforce migration has worsened the shortage of healthcare professionals, leading to a number of negative consequences.
Patients experience longer wait times, reduced access to specialised care, and a decline in overall care quality due to overburdened staff.
Nigeria faces a ratio of 1.83 health workers per 1,000, according to the policy document.
The World Health Organization recommends a health worker density of 4.45 per 1,000 population.
