Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing a deepening workforce crisis, with 4,193 doctors and dentists leaving the country in 2024 alone, according to the latest Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare report.

The Nigeria Health Statistics Report released on Friday reveals that between 2023 and 2024, the migration of health workers across all cadres surged by 200%, reflecting an alarming brain drain in the nation’s fragile health sector.

A total of 43,221 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists relocated abroad within the two-year period. Despite modest growth in trained professionals between 2022 and 2024, only about half of registered health workers are currently licensed to practise, further constraining capacity.

“Attrition, especially through external migration, remains a significant challenge. In 2024 alone, a total of 4,193 doctors and dentists left Nigeria, with approximately 66% moving to the United Kingdom. Nurses and midwives are the most affected groups,” the report notes.

Top destinations for Nigerian healthcare professionals include:

• Doctors and dentists: United Kingdom (4,627), Canada (934), United States (561), Australia (188), UAE (140), Ireland (113)
• Medical laboratory scientists: Canada (6,393), UAE (2,010), Ireland (1,500), U.S. (1,052), UK (410)

Nurses and midwives are leaving even faster, with over 23,000 migrating in 2024 alone, drawn by better pay, improved working conditions, and career growth opportunities. Pharmacists are also exiting in large numbers, primarily to Canada, the UK, and Australia.

This exodus has left hospitals and clinics severely understaffed, particularly in underserved rural areas, straining the remaining workforce and undermining patient care.

Speaking at the Joint Annual Report meeting in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, painted a stark picture:

• Doctor-to-population ratio: 1:5,000 (WHO recommends 1:600)
• Nurse-to-population ratio: 1:2,000 (WHO recommends 1:300)
• Urban–rural distribution: 75% of health workers serve only 45% of the population

Despite the challenges, Dr. Salako affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to reversing the trend, highlighting measures such as expanding training quotas, strengthening primary healthcare, updating the Health Workforce Registry, and implementing a health workforce migration policy aimed at improving retention and diaspora collaboration.

“Though migration continues to adversely affect retention, a health workforce migration policy has been developed to achieve better retention and foster more collaborative contributions from Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora,” he said.