The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has raised concerns over the growing exodus of healthcare professionals from Nigeria and other African nations, describing the trend as a serious threat to the continent’s health systems.
Speaking in Abuja during the 7th Annual Capacity Building Workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA), Pate revealed that over 16,000 doctors have left Nigeria in the past five to seven years.
He said the departure of these professionals—alongside nurses and midwives—has further strained the already low doctor-to-population ratio in the country, currently standing at 3.9 per 10,000 people, which is far below the global standard.
While acknowledging that health worker mobility is not new, Pate described the current scale as alarming.
“It represents a fiscal loss, a systemic weakening, and a moral imperative,” he said.
He estimated the training cost of a single doctor at over $21,000, pointing out that the country loses millions of dollars in human capital when trained professionals emigrate without structured reintegration or ethical recruitment frameworks in place.
In response to the crisis, Pate unveiled the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration—an initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
The policy aims to retain and motivate healthcare workers, promote ethical international recruitment through bilateral agreements, and expand the country’s training capacity.
He emphasized that the goal is not to prevent migration, but to create a system where professionals no longer feel compelled to leave.
“We want to ensure dignity—for the health worker, for the country, and for the profession,” he said.
The minister added that more than 60,000 frontline health workers had been retrained in the last year, with a target of 120,000. Medical and allied health training quotas have also been doubled to meet rising demand.
He acknowledged the imbalance in workforce distribution, with most doctors concentrated in Lagos and Abuja, and outlined plans to encourage relocation through incentives like housing, digital infrastructure, and improved working conditions.
Pate also praised the growing involvement of Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora, noting the return of doctors, oncologists, and surgeons who are helping to set up advanced health facilities in cities like Lagos and Maiduguri.
He cited the ongoing conference of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) in Lagos as a sign of renewed commitment from the diaspora.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), according to Pate, is now taking the lead in monitoring recruitment practices, supporting returning professionals, and harmonising regulations with other African countries.
He called on African nations to establish a continental compact on workforce mobility—grounded in ethical recruitment, shared standards, investments in training, and coordinated negotiations with destination countries.
“This is the time for bold reform. We must shift from brain drain to brain gain,” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Tanko Sununu, emphasized the need for sustainability in service delivery.
He advocated for greater self-reliance and less dependence on external aid, urging the development of models that allow systems to function independently while fostering collaboration.
AMCOA President, Prof. Joel Okullo, echoed similar concerns, stressing that African-trained doctors should serve the continent, not be lost to brain drain.
He noted the high cost of training a doctor and underlined the importance of keeping that investment within the region.
Okullo also acknowledged a new collaborative effort spearheaded by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which aims to unite the unique strengths of African nations—such as Nigeria’s expertise in disease surveillance and others’ strengths in epidemiology—to boost the continent’s health security.
“This programme is about strengthening collaboration, so Africa is better prepared for future health emergencies,” he said.
