Japa: 75% of Nigerian health workers moved to other countries in 2023 — Health Minister

• says 67% of Nigerian medical doctors practising in UK

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has said that 75 per cent of health workers trained in Nigeria last year have left to other countries to practice.

He also said that 67 per cent of Nigerian medical doctors are practising in the United Kingdom (UK), with 25 per cent of National Health Service (NHS) workforce being Nigerians.

The minister, who stated this on Channels Television’s current affairs programme ‘Politics Today’ on Tuesday night, said if health workers of Nigerian origin pull out of NHS, the service will struggle.

The minister said: “The recruitment countries that recruit our professionals, should they not have some responsibilities help us expand the training? Because the strain of health workers’ migration is continuous; it’s not going to stop tomorrow.

“UK will need Nigerian doctors. 67 per cent of our doctors go to the UK and 25 per cent of the NHS workforce are Nigerians.

“Does the UK, for instance, want to consider expanding the pre-service education? Can we have corridors that allow us to have a compact that ‘you’ll take so but you will also help us train more so you will replace them’? That is in the realm of health diplomacy and ethical replacement.”

He noted that if Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, “The NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to offer.

“We have good training centres here, and the universities are doing a great job,” he added.

The minister, however, said that there is freedom of movement and the government cannot stop people from leaving country.

• Japa is a colloquial term for Nigerian youth emigration for greener pastures.