Poor conditions forcing Nigerian doctors abroad — NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says many doctors who would prefer to practise in Nigeria are being pushed abroad by poor working conditions, insecurity, inadequate pay and limited professional opportunities.

NMA President, Dr Afekhide Omoti, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while briefing journalists after the association’s National Executive Council meeting.

Omoti said the migration crisis had become so severe that some medical students now begin preparing to leave the country before completing their training.

He said many young doctors start taking foreign qualifying examinations during their internship because they see limited prospects for building their careers in Nigeria.

“Every doctor wants to remain in this country. I can assure you hardly any doctor ordinarily would want to leave. So we want to stay, but for many people, they just cannot do it anymore, so they have no choice,” he said.

According to the NMA president, more than half of Nigerian doctors have left the country, creating a significant loss after substantial public resources were invested in their training.

“The government spends so much money to train an average doctor and these doctors leave for free. So who loses? The government loses. The Nigerian people lose,” Omoti said.

He said the association had proposed a minimum retention package aimed at making medical practice in Nigeria more attractive.

The NMA president stressed that the proposal was not for doctors to earn salaries comparable to those available abroad, but for the government to provide conditions capable of encouraging them to stay.

The association also called for the immediate implementation of the 65-year retirement age for clinical health workers, arguing that retaining experienced medical personnel was crucial to addressing the country’s shortage of skilled professionals.

It further urged the Federal Government to conclude and implement the outstanding collective bargaining agreement with health workers and make provision for its financial implications in the 2027 budget.

Omoti said improving remuneration, security and workplace conditions was essential to stemming the continued loss of healthcare professionals to other countries.

“We cannot retain healthcare professionals in an environment where their lives are threatened. We cannot effectively address brain drain without improving the welfare and working conditions of healthcare workers,” he said.