Nigeria is facing a worsening health workforce crisis as the continued migration of medical professionals puts increasing strain on the country’s fragile healthcare system, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, has warned.
Salako raised the alarm on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 United Kingdom Global Health Summit held at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
According to the minister, the exodus of Nigerian health workers—popularly referred to as “japa”—has intensified manpower shortages and placed enormous pressure on the nation’s already overstretched health system.
In a copy of the speech made available to journalists in Abuja, Salako revealed that Nigeria currently has about four doctors per 10,000 people, far below the minimum benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization, which advises at least 10 physicians per 10,000 population.
“The global health workforce crisis is not a future threat but a present emergency,” Salako said. “Africa carries more than a quarter of the global disease burden but commands less than three per cent of the global health workforce.”
He noted that the situation is particularly severe in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where shortages of doctors, nurses, midwives, and other health professionals have reached alarming levels.
Salako disclosed that migration among healthcare professionals has significantly worsened the country’s manpower deficit.
Citing data from the United Kingdom, he said about 13,609 Nigerian health workers migrated to the UK between 2021 and 2022, making Nigeria one of the largest sources of foreign-trained medical personnel in the country.
He also referenced a 2023 survey by NOI Polls and Nigeria Health Watch, which found that 57 per cent of Nigerian doctors had taken concrete steps to leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
According to the minister, each medical doctor trained in Nigeria represents a major investment of public resources.
“Every doctor who leaves Nigeria represents a substantial flight of invested public resources, often exceeding $200,000 in training costs,” he said. “This effectively transfers resources from one of the world’s most resource-constrained health systems to wealthier nations.”
Salako described the trend as a matter of global equity that requires stronger international cooperation.
Nigeria’s health sector has long struggled with inadequate funding, infrastructure deficits, and heavy reliance on out-of-pocket payments by patients. Despite having more than 220 million people, the country continues to face significant healthcare challenges, including poor facilities, workforce shortages, and limited access to quality care, particularly in rural communities.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that the continued migration of healthcare professionals could further weaken service delivery in public hospitals.
The minister said the Federal Government, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has launched reforms aimed at strengthening the sector through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
The initiative is designed to coordinate health policies and funding under a unified framework guided by the principles of “One Plan, One Budget, and One Conversation,” aimed at improving coordination and accountability in health sector financing.
Salako also highlighted broader global challenges affecting healthcare systems, including economic instability, climate change, and geopolitical tensions.
He noted that the International Monetary Fund projects global economic growth of between 2.7 and 3.1 per cent in 2026, lower than pre-pandemic levels, a trend that could further constrain government spending on healthcare.
Climate change, he added, is already affecting health outcomes worldwide. According to the 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, heat-related mortality has risen by 23 per cent since 1999, while extreme weather conditions have pushed millions into food insecurity.
In Nigeria, environmental challenges such as desertification in the north, flooding in the south, and pollution in oil-producing regions are increasingly contributing to disease outbreaks and displacement.
To tackle the manpower shortage, Salako said the government has expanded training capacity in medical schools and other health institutions.
He disclosed that Nigeria recorded a 160 per cent increase in medical school admissions between 2023 and 2025, alongside expanded training for nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists.
Authorities are also strengthening programmes for community health workers and implementing task-shifting policies to improve service delivery in underserved communities.
“We recognise that a resilient health system must rest on a broad and diverse workforce,” the minister said.
Salako added that the government is also engaging Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora to support the domestic health sector.
He disclosed that seven Nigerian healthcare diaspora associations across the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, South Africa and the UK would undertake a coordinated medical mission in Nigeria between April and July this year.
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The initiative will focus on knowledge transfer, skills development, and strengthening health institutions.
Nigeria’s diaspora health professionals are estimated to number more than 150,000 globally, many occupying senior roles in hospitals and research institutions abroad.
Salako described them as a “strategic asset” capable of helping bridge capacity gaps within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The minister called for stronger international cooperation to address the global health workforce crisis, including ethical recruitment practices and support for countries that train health workers who later migrate abroad.
He urged developed nations to fully implement the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, which promotes fair and transparent recruitment practices.
Salako also advocated bilateral agreements that would allow health workers to gain experience abroad while ensuring that skills and knowledge are transferred back to their home countries.
“No nation can solve the global health workforce crisis alone,” he said.
“The next pandemic or health emergency will not respect borders. Strengthening health systems in developing countries is not charity—it is global security.”