Nigeria’s healthcare system is steadily losing the professionals it depends on to survive, and the warning signs have become impossible to ignore. Every doctor, nurse, pharmacist and laboratory scientist who leaves the country weakens an already fragile system and leaves millions of Nigerians with fewer healthcare options.
The latest figures underline the scale of the crisis. According to the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025, at least 20,966 healthcare workers left Nigeria within a year. The number includes doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory scientists and other specialists whose education and training required years of investment.
These professionals are far more than statistics. They represent valuable skills, experience and public resources that Nigeria continues to lose to countries offering better opportunities.
The brain drain is getting worse
The migration of healthcare workers is no longer an isolated trend. It has become one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The recent relocation of Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon Salamat Aliu-Ibrahim from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital to the United States attracted national attention because it involved one of Nigeria’s leading specialists. However, her departure reflects a much wider problem affecting every level of the healthcare workforce.
Figures from the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council show that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026. Today, almost 16,000 Nigerian-trained doctors are licensed to practise in Britain alone.
The situation within Nigeria remains equally worrying. More than 95,000 doctors are registered nationwide, yet only about 60,500 currently hold active practising licences. Even more troubling, only about half of those licensed still work within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The nursing profession faces similar challenges. Although nearly 268,000 nurses and midwives are registered, only about 113,000 currently possess active practising licences. Thousands have also relocated to countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The shortage extends beyond doctors and nurses. Physiotherapists, pharmacists, optometrists, occupational therapists and laboratory scientists are also leaving in growing numbers, creating serious gaps across the healthcare sector.
Why healthcare workers are leaving
The reasons behind the migration have remained consistent for years. Healthcare professionals continue to cite poor salaries, delayed payments, outdated equipment, inadequate hospital facilities, insecurity, excessive workloads and limited opportunities for career advancement.
Many also seek better education for their children, improved working conditions and a higher quality of life. These aspirations are legitimate and understandable.
No professional should have to choose between serving the country and achieving personal fulfilment. Likewise, patriotism alone cannot compensate for unsafe workplaces, obsolete equipment and poor welfare.
Nigeria has invested enormous public resources in training healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, many now strengthen foreign healthcare systems while millions of Nigerians struggle to access quality medical care at home.
The consequences have become increasingly visible. Hospitals remain overcrowded, specialist services are limited, waiting times continue to rise and many citizens spend huge sums seeking treatment abroad. Those who cannot afford medical tourism often settle for inadequate alternatives.
Appeals alone will not solve the problem
President Bola Tinubu recently appealed to Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad to return home and contribute to rebuilding the sector. He also promised sustained investment in medical education, digital health infrastructure and improved welfare.
The appeal reflects genuine concern. Many Nigerians in the diaspora still maintain strong emotional ties to their country and remain willing to contribute to national development.
However, emotional attachment cannot replace practical realities. Healthcare professionals make career decisions based on working conditions, professional opportunities, security and financial stability. Few will abandon functioning hospitals abroad for facilities struggling with outdated equipment, unreliable electricity and chronic staff shortages.
If the government genuinely wants to reverse the brain drain, it must first create an environment that encourages healthcare workers to remain in Nigeria.
Nigeria must move beyond promises
The federal and state governments must urgently address the structural problems driving healthcare professionals out of the country. They should improve salaries, pay allowances promptly and provide modern equipment that allows medical workers to perform effectively.
Authorities must also expand residency programmes, specialist training and research opportunities. Better security within hospitals and higher budgetary allocations to the health sector are equally essential.
Nigeria should also strengthen engagement with healthcare professionals in the diaspora. Many may not be ready to relocate permanently. Nevertheless, they can still contribute through telemedicine, specialist training, collaborative research, medical missions and investment in healthcare infrastructure.
Such partnerships would strengthen the health sector while maintaining valuable links with experienced professionals abroad.
Nigeria still has an opportunity to reverse the current trend, but that window is rapidly closing. Allowing the continuous loss of skilled healthcare workers will only deepen the country’s healthcare crisis and place more lives at risk.
Saving Nigeria’s healthcare system requires far more than speeches and patriotic appeals. It demands sustained investment, practical reforms and the political will to create conditions where healthcare professionals can build rewarding careers at home. Until that happens, the exodus will continue, and the country’s healthcare system will remain under severe strain.
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