President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration as a strategic response to the ongoing trend of Nigerian doctors relocating abroad.
This policy, unveiled by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, via his X handle on Tuesday, is designed to attract back the estimated 12,400 Nigerian-trained doctors currently practicing overseas.
Pate, who also appeared on Channels TV that same Tuesday evening, highlighted a concerning statistic: 67% of Nigerian-trained doctors are now working in the United Kingdom alone.
He emphasized the critical role these professionals play internationally, particularly in the UK’s National Health Service.
“The recruitment countries, that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities to help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow,” Pate remarked.
He added, “The UK will need Nigerian doctors; 67 per cent of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25 per cent of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.”
Pate elaborated that the newly approved policy represents more than a mere reaction to the current exodus but is a thorough strategy aimed at managing, harnessing, and reversing the migration of health workers.
While the policy has been met with cautious optimism by healthcare workers, many have expressed the need for further details and a clear implementation strategy.
Pate, in his announcement, described the policy as a significant step toward transforming Nigeria’s healthcare human resources.
“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration. It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilised to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians,” Pate stated.
The migration of healthcare professionals from Nigeria, driven by factors such as inadequate equipment, worsening insecurity, poor working conditions, and an unsatisfactory salary structure, has placed a heavy burden on those who remain.
This often leads to increased workloads and extended hours for the remaining healthcare workers.
The minister emphasized that the policy includes the Nigeria Human Health Resource Programme, which will regularly review working conditions to ensure that health workers, particularly in rural and underserved areas, receive the recognition and rewards they deserve.
“By fostering an environment conducive to professional growth and stability, the policy aims to retain top talent within Nigeria,” he said.
The policy also focuses on integrating advanced health technologies, including electronic medical records, telehealth, and a comprehensive health workforce registry, to improve the efficiency and equity of healthcare delivery.
Capacity building is also a central element of the policy. Recognizing the importance of continuous professional development, the policy aims to offer strategic partnerships and international training opportunities to equip Nigerian healthcare professionals with cutting-edge skills.
The policy equally addresses the return and reintegration of Nigerian health professionals from the Diaspora.
By establishing streamlined registration processes and offering attractive incentives, the policy is designed to encourage the return of talented professionals while actively reintegrating them into the Nigerian health system.
This approach also seeks to forge reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure that the exchange of health workers benefits Nigeria.
The policy includes provisions to improve work-life balance for healthcare workers, including routine health checks, mental well-being support, and reasonable working hours, particularly for younger doctors.
The governance of this policy will be overseen by the National Human Resources for Health Programme within the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with state governments.
This governance structure is intended to ensure responsible implementation and alignment with broader sector-wide health objectives.
Senior Adviser for Media and External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah, further explained that the government is negotiating with countries where Nigerian healthcare workers migrate to support Nigeria in enhancing its health training facilities.
“We are talking to those countries that our health workers are going to, to see if they can now help Nigeria to improve provisions of some of the facilities that will enable Nigeria to train more health workers,” Hallah said.
