The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, has revealed that Nigeria lost over $366 million due to the emigration of more than 16,000 doctors in the last five to seven years.
Pate disclosed this on Tuesday during the seventh annual capacity building workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa in Abuja.
He said the doctor-to-population ratio in Nigeria has dropped to 3.9 per 10,000, far below the global standard.
He expressed concern that the mass migration of healthcare professionals, including nurses and midwives, is weakening the country’s health system, especially in underserved rural communities.
“The estimated cost of training one doctor is over $21,000, and when thousands leave, it results in a massive fiscal loss and reduced capacity in our healthcare sector,” he said.
However, the minister noted that the Federal Government is responding to the challenge with a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“This policy is not restrictive but aims to manage migration with dignity. It balances the rights of health professionals to seek opportunities abroad with the need to protect our health system,” Pate added.
He called on African countries to lead the conversation on health workforce mobility by establishing shared standards and planning tools, and negotiating with destination countries.
Also speaking, the President of AMCOA, Prof Joel Okullo, advocated for stronger collaboration among African nations to improve healthcare regulation and leadership.
The Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Fatima Kyari, and the MDCN Board Chair, Prof Afolabi Lesi, both stressed the need for teamwork and regulatory alignment to ensure patient safety and quality care across the continent.
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