Nigeria’s healthcare system is in crisis as 4,193 doctors and dentists left the country in 2024 alone, according to the latest Nigeria Health Statistics Report. The report shows a 200% surge in health worker migration across all cadres between 2023 and 2024, with 43,221 medical professionals including nurses, pharmacists, and lab scientists relocating abroad over the two-year period.
The UK remains the top destination, absorbing 4,627 doctors and dentists, followed by Canada, the U.S., and Australia. Nurses and midwives are fleeing even faster, driven by better pay, working conditions, and career opportunities. Pharmacists and medical lab scientists are also leaving in significant numbers, leaving hospitals and clinics severely understaffed, especially in rural areas.
Despite recruiting over 37,000 healthcare workers since 2023, the doctor-to-population ratio is 1:5,000, far below the WHO recommendation of 1:600, and the nurse-to-population ratio is 1:2,000, against a WHO benchmark of 1:300. Compounding the problem, 75% of health workers are concentrated in urban areas, leaving much of the population underserved.
The Federal Government, through the Health Ministry, is pushing solutions: expanding training quotas, strengthening primary healthcare, updating the Health Workforce Registry, and rolling out a migration policy to improve retention and engage diaspora health professionals.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, warned that while these measures are ongoing, the brain drain remains a critical challenge that could further weaken Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system if urgent actions are not sustained.