President Bola Tinubu has pledged to introduce stronger measures to curb the migration of Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals, saying the Federal Government wants more skilled workers to return home and contribute to the country’s health sector.
He also called for closer regional cooperation and improved disease surveillance to contain infectious diseases, including the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in parts of Africa.
Tinubu made the commitments on Monday in Abuja through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, at the opening of the 50th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the West African College of Physicians, held to mark the institution’s 50th anniversary.
“We will work hard to stem the trend of Japa so that we have the people coming back to serve in our region,” Tinubu said, referring to the departure of skilled professionals abroad in search of better opportunities and working conditions.
The President said his administration had prioritised the recruitment, training, welfare and retention of health workers, disclosing that more than 30,000 professionals had been employed in federal health facilities over the previous two and a half years.
He added that the government had supported the training of thousands of frontline health workers, strengthened specialist medical institutions and doubled medical education quotas to address workforce shortages.
The pledge comes amid concerns about the continued departure of Nigerian medical professionals, which has placed additional strain on the country’s healthcare system. Poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, limited training opportunities and concerns about career advancement have been cited among the factors driving the trend.
Tinubu said the government was also implementing reforms to upgrade healthcare infrastructure, broaden health insurance coverage and improve primary healthcare services.
“We firmly believe that quality healthcare is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a fundamental right that should be accessible to every resident of Nigeria,” he said.
According to the President, investments are being made in the construction, renovation and equipping of health facilities, while tertiary hospitals are undergoing modernisation and primary healthcare centres are being revitalised.
He said funding for primary healthcare facilities through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund was also being strengthened to improve service delivery.
The administration, he added, was adopting digital technologies to enhance patient records, disease monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.
Tinubu seeks stronger regional response to Ebola
Addressing the Ebola outbreak, the President said recent health emergencies had highlighted the need for countries to work together, noting that infectious diseases could spread across national boundaries.
“Our collective safety depends on our ability to prepare, prevent, detect and respond rapidly to health threats,” he said.
He said Nigeria would continue strengthening its surveillance systems, laboratory networks, emergency response structures and cross-border partnerships to identify and contain outbreaks before they spread further.
Tinubu also pledged continued investment in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other health security institutions to protect Nigerians and contribute to regional and global preparedness.
“The vision of an Ebola-free West Africa and an Ebola-free Africa is achievable,” he said, adding that sustained political commitment, stronger institutions, adequate public health funding and cooperation among countries were necessary to realise the goal.
Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, following the patient’s arrival from Uganda. The case emerged amid a wider outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries.
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The World Health Organisation has called for continued surveillance, contact tracing, stronger laboratory capacity and infection prevention measures to limit transmission.
As of October 25, Nigerian health authorities were coordinating containment efforts. According to the health minister, the patient was medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday after her condition improved.
Tinubu said Nigeria was prepared to collaborate with the West African College of Physicians, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and international development partners to strengthen regional health security.
Government pledges support for specialist medical training
The President described specialist medical education as essential to improving patient outcomes, advancing scientific research and developing resilient healthcare systems.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, alongside the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, to improve postgraduate medical training and prepare future generations of specialist physicians.
Tinubu also encouraged the college to adopt emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, with appropriate safeguards, while investing in healthcare professionals and expanding partnerships.
Earlier, the President of the West African College of Physicians, Dr Mamadou-Mourtalla Ka, said the institution had spent 50 years advancing postgraduate medical education, professional standards and healthcare delivery across West Africa.
He said the college had trained and certified thousands of specialists who had contributed to clinical practice, medical education, research and health leadership within the subregion and beyond.
Ka acknowledged the contributions of the college’s founders, former presidents, senior fellows, teachers and mentors, whose efforts helped establish and sustain the institution.
However, he warned that West Africa continued to face major health challenges, including rising non-communicable diseases, persistent infectious illnesses, unequal access to quality healthcare and mounting pressure on health systems.
“Our response must include stronger postgraduate medical education, relevant scientific research, greater collaboration among our national chapters, and continued commitment to higher standards in professional practice,” he said.
Ka also called for greater investment in younger fellows and trainees, describing their development as vital to the college’s future.
FCT minister urges investment in medical workforce
In her remarks, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, represented the FCT administration at the event and stressed that a skilled and motivated medical workforce was essential to national development.
She called for increased funding for medical education, specialist training, research and digital health technologies, alongside better welfare packages and measures to retain healthcare professionals.
Mahmoud praised the college for bringing together physicians from Nigeria and other West African countries to exchange expertise, share scientific advances and develop responses to common health challenges.
She urged the institution to create more opportunities for young doctors, promote research and innovation, uphold ethical medical practice and explore artificial intelligence to improve clinical decisions and healthcare delivery.
The golden jubilee conference attracted 1,376 participants attending in person and virtually, according to the organisers.
The participants included 657 fellows, 319 people inducted into fellowship, 283 inducted into membership and 76 members, alongside accompanying persons.
The programme also featured the induction of new members and fellows, as the college reviewed its achievements since its establishment in 1976 and outlined priorities for the next five decades.