Japa: Over 16,000 Nigerian nurses now practising in UK

At least 16,156 nurses and midwives trained in Nigeria have been licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and September 30, 2025, according to data from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The figure, obtained by The PUNCH, underscores the growing “japa” wave — the steady migration of skilled Nigerian health workers to countries offering better pay, career growth, and improved working conditions.

The NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, confirmed in an email that, “As of 30 September 2025, there were 16,156 nurses on the register who were educated in Nigeria.”

As of March 31, 2025, Nigerian-trained nurses on the register stood at 15,421 — meaning the number grew by about 4.8 per cent in six months.

Earlier NMC reports showed Nigeria ranked third among the leading sources of foreign-trained nurses in the UK, behind the Philippines and India.

However, international recruitment has recently slowed across all major source countries.

While more UK-trained professionals have continued to join the register, the growth has not been enough to offset the decline in overseas recruitment, resulting in slower overall register growth.

Nigeria’s broader health workforce is also shrinking. The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics report revealed that between 2023 and 2024, about 43,221 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists left the country.

Of these, more than 23,000 nurses and midwives moved abroad for better opportunities.

Top destinations included the United States (8,613), the United Kingdom (7,463), Canada (5,603), Saudi Arabia (1,231), and Ireland (989).

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, noted that the country’s doctor-to-population ratio is about 1:5,000 — far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 1:600 — while the nurse-to-population ratio stands at 1:2,000, compared to the recommended 1:300.

He added that the government is working to close these gaps by strengthening primary healthcare, expanding workforce data systems, increasing training capacity, and introducing retention strategies to reduce migration.