With the migration of health professionals posing a serious threat to Nigeria’s healthcare system, the government of the country has established the “National Health Workforce Migration Policy” in an attempt to address the issue. This calculated move intends to bolster Nigeria’s Healthcare Industry and stop the country’s trained health workers from leaving. Together with financing from the UK government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and help from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH) led a collaborative effort to establish the strategy.
According to the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguard List 2023, Nigeria is ranked among 55 countries with a significant shortage of healthcare workers. The accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertaining to health and the provision of high-quality healthcare are hampered by this shortfall. By emphasizing ethical hiring practices, increasing workforce planning through improved data collecting, investing in Education and capacity building, and boosting worker retention, the strategy seeks to address these issues. The FMOH has put in place measures like raising training quotas and offering 120,000 medical workers in-service training in order to solve the gap.
The strategy is critical to building a robust health system.
Human resources for health (HRH) policies and task shifting to maximize available resources are two other initiatives. The WHO backs the policy by stepping up the production of evidence, conducting workforce profiles, and offering technical assistance for the execution of Nigeria’s medical sector plans. The strategy is critical to building a robust health system that serves Nigeria’s needs and tackles the underlying causes of health professional migration, according to Professor Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. He urged nations that hire Nigerian health workers to train a new employee for each Nigerian professional already employed, instituting a “one-for-one” approach.
A considerable Brain Drain has occurred in Nigeria’s healthcare industry over the last several decades as thousands of medical experts have left the country in search of better prospects outside. Due to political unrest and economic hardship, the migratory trend started to pick up speed in the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, it hasn’t stopped, negatively affecting Nigeria’s healthcare system. The World Health Organization estimates that foreign nations, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, have taken over 40,000 Nigerian doctors. According to recent data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), more than 9,000 medical professionals left the nation in just the years 2016–2021.
Funding constraints continue to be a major concern.
One of Nigeria’s top tertiary hospitals, University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, presents a noteworthy example of this. According to reports, UCH finds it difficult to maintain appropriate staffing levels as a result of the exodus of experienced workers, which causes delays in surgeries, cancellations of essential care appointments, and an overworked workforce. Similarly, there has been a notable decline in the number of specialists employed by Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), which has resulted in subpar patient care and an overreliance on junior physicians.
Although these problems are the focus of the National Health Workforce Migration Policy, a number of possible obstacles may prevent it from being successfully implemented. The health sector in Nigeria is chronically underfunded, receiving only 5.7% of the National Budget in 2023—well below the 15% target set by the Abuja Declaration. Funding constraints continue to be a major concern. Medical workers who are used to their current work environment may be resistant to change, and expanding training capacity in medical schools with limited funding may provide practical obstacles.
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Furthermore, it is challenging to enforce moral hiring norms overseas since international health organizations actively seek out Nigerian-trained physicians without taking into account the implications for Nigeria’s medical system. Cooperation amongst all parties involved—private sector investors, non-governmental organizations, and foreign partners—is essential for the policy to be successful. The commercial sector can contribute by financing educational initiatives, making investments in medical facilities, and offering rewards to keep healthcare professionals in the field. NGOs and foreign organizations can help by providing technical support, providing funds for programs aimed at creating capacity, and promoting moral hiring procedures that take Nigeria’s impact into account.