Abuja, Nigeria – The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has revealed that more than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country over the past five to seven years in search of better opportunities abroad, dealing a significant blow to Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 7th Annual Capacity Building Workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) in Abuja, Pate painted a sobering picture of the brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. He noted that the country’s doctor-to-population ratio now stands at 3.9 per 10,000—far below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum.
Themed “Integrated Healthcare Regulation and Leadership in Building Resilient Health Systems”, the workshop brought together health regulators and stakeholders from across Africa to deliberate on the growing challenge of workforce migration and regulatory reforms.
“In Nigeria alone, over 16,000 doctors are estimated to have left the country in the last five to seven years, with thousands more departing more recently. Nurses and midwives have also thinned in numbers,” Prof. Pate lamented.
He stated that the economic and educational investments made in these professionals are substantial, estimating that the cost of training one doctor in Nigeria exceeds $21,000—resources lost to foreign health systems with every departure.
Despite this setback, Pate sees an opportunity for reform.
“This is not just about migration—it’s about public investment walking out the door. But it also offers us a moment to rethink how we manage our health workforce in a way that prioritizes national interests while respecting individual rights,” he said.
The minister outlined the federal government’s new approach, guided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Central to this strategy is the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, designed to address the issue with dignity and foresight.
He emphasized the importance of developing a robust, ethical, and strategic response that includes expanding domestic training capacity, motivating healthcare workers, establishing bilateral recruitment frameworks, and integrating Nigerian health professionals abroad back into the system.
Prof. Pate also advocated for African countries to take the lead in negotiating a fairer global health workforce system.
“Africa must drive a new global compact on health workforce mobility—rooted in shared standards, planning tools, and joint negotiations with destination countries,” he urged.
AMCOA President and Stakeholders Back Regional Collaboration
AMCOA President, Prof. Joel Okullo, emphasized the need for cross-border collaboration to strengthen healthcare regulation across the continent. He expressed optimism that the workshop would yield actionable strategies for improved service delivery.
“This year’s theme underscores our commitment to addressing regulatory challenges while equipping our members with the tools to make informed decisions,” Okullo stated.
Dr. Fatima Kyari, Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), welcomed participants and lauded the unprecedented hosting of the AMCOA event in Nigeria, while emphasizing the need for united efforts to prioritize patient safety.
Prof. Afolabi Lesi, Board Chairperson of MDCN and Chair of the Local Organizing Committee, stressed that fractured inter-professional relationships among health workers remain a barrier to effective implementation and optimal patient care.
“We must align our teamwork towards one common goal—the wellbeing and safety of the patient,” Lesi said.
The event concluded with calls for stronger governance, better coordination among health institutions, and an Africa-led initiative to reshape global healthcare dynamics in favor of developing nations.
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