Mass Exodus of Doctors and Nurses Threatens Nigeria’s Health System

A total of 4,193 doctors and dentists left Nigeria for better opportunities abroad in 2024, the Nigeria Health Statistics Report by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has revealed.

The report, obtained on Friday, shows that migration of health workers surged by 200% across all professional cadres between 2023 and 2024. Thousands of medical professionals—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health workers—have left the country in search of improved working conditions, higher pay, and career advancement.

Analysis of the report indicates that 43,221 healthcare workers migrated abroad between 2023 and 2024, highlighting a deepening brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector. The exodus, the report warns, poses a major challenge to the country’s healthcare system, particularly in underserved areas, and underscores the need for effective retention policies.

The report notes that Nigeria’s health workforce saw steady growth between 2022 and 2024, with notable increases in doctors (18%), nurses and midwives (13%), pharmacists (27%), and laboratory scientists (39%), reflecting expanded training capacity and policy reforms. However, significant licensing gaps remain, with only about half of registered professionals actively licensed to practice. Rural–urban disparities persist, as most healthcare workers are concentrated in urban public facilities.

External migration remains a critical challenge. In 2024 alone, 4,193 doctors and dentists left Nigeria, with around 66% relocating to the United Kingdom. Nurses and midwives are the most affected groups. Top destinations for Nigerian doctors and dentists between 2023 and 2024 included the UK (4,627), Canada (934), the US (561), and Australia (188). Similarly, over 23,000 nurses and midwives, along with pharmacists and laboratory scientists, migrated abroad during this period.

Pharmacists mainly moved to Canada (765), the UK (196), and Australia (88), while laboratory scientists predominantly migrated to Canada (6,393), the UAE (2,010), and Ireland (1,500).

The mass migration has intensified workforce shortages, leaving hospitals and clinics understaffed amid growing patient demand. Although the Federal Government has employed over 37,000 healthcare workers since 2023, over 75% in clinical roles, significant gaps remain.

At the Joint Annual Report meeting in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:5,000—far below the WHO recommendation of 1:600—while the nurse-to-population ratio is 1:2,000 against the recommended 1:300. He noted that 75% of health workers are concentrated in urban areas, serving just 45% of the population.

Dr. Salako emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare, expanding the Health Workforce Registry, increasing training quotas, and implementing retention policies to curb migration. He added that a health workforce migration policy has been developed to improve retention and encourage collaboration with Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora.

“These interventions are part of the broader Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiatives aimed at building a resilient healthcare system capable of delivering quality care to all Nigerians,” he said.