The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has issued a stark warning regarding the potential impact on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) if Nigerian medical professionals continue to migrate in large numbers. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Pate noted that a staggering 67% of Nigerian-trained doctors are now practicing in the UK, with Nigerians making up 25% of the NHS workforce.
His comments come in light of President Bola Tinubu’s recent approval of a new National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, aimed at addressing the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals from Nigeria. While the policy does not seek to prevent migration, it focuses on improving conditions within Nigeria to retain and attract health workers.
Pate emphasized that the NHS could struggle to provide adequate services if the trend of Nigerian doctors leaving continues. He stated, “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.”The new policy aims to bring back an estimated 12,400 Nigerian-trained doctors currently practicing abroad, as well as to enhance the training and working conditions for health professionals in Nigeria. Pate highlighted the need for countries that recruit Nigerian doctors to also contribute to expanding training opportunities in Nigeria, suggesting a more collaborative approach to managing health workforce migration.
Healthcare workers in Nigeria have expressed hope for the new policy but are seeking clarity on its implementation and the details surrounding it. The ongoing migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals has left many colleagues facing increased workloads, highlighting the urgent need for systemic improvements in the country’s healthcare sector.