Over 50,000 Nigerian doctors now practising abroad – NMA

THE Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has raised fresh the alarm over the scale of medical brain drain from the country, revealing that more than 50,000 Nigerian-trained doctors are currently practising outside Nigeria. The association blamed the trend on aggressive recruitment by foreign health systems, poor working conditions at home, and welfare packages abroad that remain far more attractive than what most doctors receive locally.

The disclosure was made by the NMA National President, Dr. Bala Mohammed Audu, during a courtesy visit to the 312 Artillery Regiment at Kalapanzi Barracks in Kakuri, Kaduna, at the weekend. Speaking before military officers and medical personnel attached to the unit, Dr Audu praised the Nigerian Armed Forces, particularly the Army, for their role in national security and their comparatively better welfare structure for medical staff.

According to him, the outflow of doctors has reached a point where there are now more Nigerian doctors practising outside the country than within it. “There seems to be more Nigerian doctors outside the shores of this country than there are within the country,” Dr Audu said. “Which means we are talking about over 50,000 doctors practising outside the country.”

He explained that the phenomenon is not only a result of doctors voluntarily leaving Nigeria but also a product of targeted international recruitment. Wealthier countries, especially in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, are increasingly turning to Nigeria to fill shortages in their health systems. “A lot of the time it’s not just that Nigerian doctors are leaving the shores of this country and going elsewhere, but you find countries come to Nigeria to recruit the doctors and take them out, even when they don’t apply to go out,” he noted.

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Dr Audu attributed this global demand to the quality of medical training in Nigeria, which has produced doctors that are highly sought after. However, he warned that while the export of skilled professionals may appear flattering, it is devastating for a country already struggling with a fragile healthcare system, rising population, and limited infrastructure.

Beyond international migration, the NMA president also pointed to a growing internal brain drain. Many doctors, he said, are moving from one hospital or state to another in search of better pay, housing, security, and working conditions. Welfare, he stressed, remains the strongest factor shaping where doctors choose to work. “Within Nigeria, doctors are also migrating from one institution to another where their welfare is better taken care of,” he said.

In this regard, Dr Audu singled out the Nigerian military as a model employer. He explained that doctors serving in the armed forces enjoy more stable conditions and a more competitive pay structure under the Military Salary Structure (MSS), which he said is superior to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) that applies to doctors in public hospitals.

The NMA therefore encouraged doctors, especially young practitioners and specialists, to consider military service as a viable career path. According to Dr Audu, strengthening the medical corps of the armed forces would not only help retain skilled doctors in the country but also improve healthcare delivery for military personnel and their families.

The brain drain crisis has become a major policy concern in Nigeria. Hospitals across the country continue to grapple with manpower shortages, long patient queues, overworked staff, and declining morale. In many tertiary hospitals, resident doctors and consultants now shoulder workloads once shared by much larger teams, increasing the risk of burnout and medical errors.

Responding to the NMA delegation, the Commanding Officer of the 312 Artillery Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel I.J. Ufua, described the visit as a rare honour. “I don’t think the unit has gotten this privilege to have this great team in our midst. On behalf of the officers and men of this regiment, I sincerely welcome you to Kalapanzi Barracks,” he said.