67% of Nigerian doctors work in UK, NHS vulnerable if they withdraw

Over half of the Nigerian doctors who migrate from the country work in the UK, an official has announced.

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said 67 per cent of Nigerian doctors who migrate go to practice in the United Kingdom.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, Mr Pate also said Nigerians make up 25 per cent of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), adding that the NHS would be greatly impacted if Nigerian doctors withdraw.

“The trend of health worker migration is continuous and it’s not going to stop tomorrow,” the minister said. “UK will need Nigerian doctors. Sixty-seven per cent of our (migrating) doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25 per cent of NHS Workforce is Nigerian.”

The minister discussed President Bola Tinubu’s newly approved National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, explaining that the policy aims to address the mass exodus of health professionals from Nigeria.

Mass Migration

Thousands of Nigerian health professionals, including doctors, leave the country yearly to seek greener pastures.

During a previous interview in March, Mr Pate said the country now has only 55,000 licensed doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million.

Data presented in the new policy shows that 2022 represents the peak of medical doctor migration, as over 3,000 doctors requested letters of good standing from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The letter is required before such migrating doctors can work in other countries.

After the UK, other countries of destinations are Canada (10 per cent), USA (7 per cent), UAE (5 per cent), Australia (3 per cent), Ireland (3 per cent), Saudi Arabia (1 per cent) and Maldives (1 per cent).

Ethical Recruitment

Mr Pate further noted that the policy also focuses on health diplomacy and promoting ethical recruitment practices.

“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement,” Mr Pate said.

“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get.”

While noting that the government cannot “restrict the freedom of movement” of its nationals, Mr Pate emphasised that efforts will be made to create a more conducive environment for health workers to remain and practice in Nigeria.

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“We’re not stopping anyone from leaving. We’re accepting that migration is here to stay—people will leave, some will come back, and some will migrate here from elsewhere.

“You’re free to leave, but we will work on making the environment more conducive, to make you more likely to stay than leave, and to attract/incentivise those who’ve left, to come back,” he said.

New policy

Mr Pate noted on his X handle Monday that the policy seeks to address the critical challenges facing the country’s health human resources, aiming to manage, harness, and reverse the migration of healthcare professionals.

“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,” he said.

The minister also noted that the important aspect of the vision lies with the Nigeria Human Health Resource Programme, which he said establishes a framework for regular reviews of working conditions, ensuring that health workers, particularly in rural and underserved areas, receive the recognition and rewards they merit.

He said it would create an environment that encourages professional development and stability, adding that the policy seeks to retain the best talent within Nigeria.