Nigeria is grappling with a worsening health workforce crisis as the mass migration of medical professionals continues to strain the country’s fragile healthcare system, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, has said.
Salako raised the alarm on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 United Kingdom Global Health Summit held at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
The minister said the exodus of Nigerian health workers, popularly referred to as “japa,” had intensified manpower shortages and placed enormous pressure on the country’s already overstretched health system.
According to his speech, Nigeria currently has about four doctors per 10,000 people—far below the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organisation, which suggests a minimum of 10 physicians per 10,000 population.
“The global health workforce crisis is not a future threat but a present emergency,” Salako said. “Africa carries more than a quarter of the global disease burden but commands less than three per cent of the global health workforce.”
He noted that the situation is particularly severe in Nigeria, where shortages of doctors, nurses, midwives, and other professionals have reached alarming levels.
Citing data from the United Kingdom, Salako disclosed that about 13,609 Nigerian health workers migrated there between 2021 and 2022, making Nigeria one of the largest sources of foreign-trained medical personnel in the country.
He also referenced a 2023 survey conducted by NOI Polls and Nigeria Health Watch, which found that 57 per cent of Nigerian doctors had taken concrete steps toward leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
According to the minister, each doctor trained in Nigeria represents a major investment of public resources, often exceeding $200,000 in training costs.
“Every doctor who leaves Nigeria represents a substantial flight of invested public resources. This effectively transfers resources from one of the world’s most resource-constrained health systems to wealthier nations,” he said.
Nigeria’s health sector has long struggled with inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and a heavy reliance on out-of-pocket payments by patients. Despite having a population of over 220 million people, access to quality healthcare remains limited, particularly in rural areas.
Salako noted that the Federal Government, under the administration of Bola Tinubu, had launched reforms through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. The strategy is built on the principles of “One Plan, One Budget, and One Conversation” to improve coordination and accountability in health sector financing.
He also highlighted global challenges affecting healthcare systems, including economic instability, climate change, and geopolitical tensions. The International Monetary Fund has projected global economic growth of between 2.7 and 3.1 per cent in 2026, lower than pre-pandemic levels, which could further constrain healthcare funding.
In addition, climate change continues to impact health outcomes worldwide. The 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change reported a 23 per cent increase in heat-related mortality since 1999, while extreme weather has worsened food insecurity.
In Nigeria, environmental challenges such as desertification in the North, flooding in the South, and pollution in oil-producing regions are contributing to disease outbreaks and displacement.
To tackle the manpower shortage, Salako said the government had expanded training capacity in medical schools and other health institutions. Nigeria recorded a 160 per cent increase in medical school admissions between 2023 and 2025, alongside similar expansion in training for nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists.
Authorities are also strengthening community health worker programmes and introducing task-shifting policies to improve service delivery in underserved areas.
“We recognise that a resilient health system must rest on a broad and diverse workforce,” he said.
The minister added that the government is engaging Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora to support the domestic sector. He disclosed that seven diaspora healthcare associations across the UK, the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, and South Africa would undertake a coordinated medical mission in Nigeria between April and July this year.
With over 150,000 Nigerian health professionals estimated to be working abroad, Salako described the diaspora as a “strategic asset” capable of bridging capacity gaps through knowledge transfer and skills development.
He called for stronger international cooperation, including ethical recruitment practices and support for countries that train health workers who later migrate.
Salako urged developed nations to fully implement the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel and advocated for bilateral agreements that would ensure skills gained abroad are transferred back home.
“No nation can solve the global health workforce crisis alone. Strengthening health systems in developing countries is not charity—it is global security,” he said.
