NewStats: 3,264,682 , 8,184,407 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 02:19 AM 2e43

The president of the Nigerian Medical Association, Professor Bala Audu has stated that Nigeria’s rising population has increased the demand for doctors, causing one doctor to attend to 8,000 patients.

The NMA president further said that about 15,000 doctors had left the country in the past five years, adding that the exodus was continuous.

“If you divide the estimated population of 240 million by the number of practising doctors, which is 30,000, it will give you the doctor-patient ratio of 1:8000,” he said.

Audu stated this while reading a communiqué at the just concluded 2025 NMA Annual Delegates Conference and General Meeting held in Katsina State.

The conference theme, “The Universal Applicability of Care Standards for Patients and the Well-being of Health Care Providers,” saw a gathering of stakeholders in the health sector.

It also featured an outreach programme in Katsina where 500 patients were treated, 100 underwent eye surgeries, and nutritional supplements were distributed to orphanages.

Audu decried the brain drain in the sector, stating that it has pushed Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio to 1:8,000, a figure higher than the recommended 1:600 doctor-to-patient ratio.

PUNCH Healthwise reports that 16,000 doctors have left the country in the past seven years.

According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, the country is left with 55,000 doctors and a doctor-to-patient ratio of 3.9 per 10,000.

Other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, laboratory scientists and physiotherapists, have also emigrated to greener pastures, with the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America as the choicest destinations.

Poor remuneration, lack of equipment and facilities, and the economic and insecurity situation in the country are some of the reasons for the mass migration of health workers.

Continuing, Audu asserted that Nigerian doctors were among the best trained in the world, attracting recruiters from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia.

He identified poor working conditions and inadequate remuneration as major factors pushing doctors to leave the country.

“There are difficulties pushing the doctors to leave the country, one of which is poor working conditions and remuneration,” he said.

The NMA president demanded the payment of the seven months’ outstanding arrears and the consequential adjustments to doctors working in tertiary hospitals.

He said, “Here we are calling for the payment of seven months of outstanding arrears and the consequential adjustments to doctors working in federal tertiary health institutions.”

To address the crisis, the NMA is demanding the full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure across all levels of the health sector as part of broader efforts to retain medical professionals.

Audu further explained that the association opposed the proposed National Prescription Policy because only doctors underwent the requisite training to prescribe medications to patients.

He, however, urged the government to prioritise healthcare worker welfare in hopes of stopping the ongoing exodus and saving the country’s ailing healthcare system.

https://healthwise.punchng.com/japa-30000-doctors-practising-in-nigeria-says-nma-president/

BlackViper:
➜The president of the Nigerian Medical Association, Professor Bala Audu has stated that Nigeria’s rising population has increased the demand for doctors, causing one doctor to attend to 8,000 patients.
The NMA president further said that about 15,000 doctors had left the country in the past five years, adding that the exodus was continuous.
“If you divide the estimated population of 240 million by the number of practising doctors, which is 30,000, it will give you the doctor-patient ratio of 1:8000,” he said.

How many quacks, or should I say illegal practitioners, does the country boast of?

I wonder how long it will take Tinubu to declare a national state of emergency on the nations healthcare system. While he is fully receiving his own healthcare in .

1. Lagos – 5,500
2. FCT – 3,200
3. Rivers – 2,100
4. Oyo – 1,800
5. Ogun – 1,600
6. Kano – 1,500
7. Kaduna – 1,300
8. Delta – 1,100
9. Anambra – 950
10. Enugu – 900
11. Edo – 850
12. Osun – 750
13. Kwara – 700
14. Plateau – 650
15. Cross River – 600
16. Abia – 600
17. Akwa Ibom – 550
18. Ondo – 550
19. Imo – 500
20. Borno – 400
21. Bauchi – 400
22. Benue – 400
23. Niger – 400
24. Kogi – 350
25. Sokoto – 300
26. Kebbi – 280
27. Gombe – 270
28. Ekiti – 250
29. Taraba – 250
30. Nasarawa – 230
31. Zamfara – 220
32. Yobe – 200
33. Ebonyi – 200
34. Jigawa – 180
35. Katsina – 180
36. Bayelsa – 150
37. Adamawa – 150

Doctors Are the New Crude Oil—And We’re Giving It Away For Free

The U.S., U.K., and Saudi Arabia don’t need to bomb us—they’re poaching Nigeria’s best minds with a smile and a g bonus.

While Nigeria spends billions training doctors… the diaspora harvests them like fruit. All while the President flies to Paris for his next medical check-up.

This isn’t negligence. It’s national betrayal.

Demand These Federal Interventions—Now:
1. Interest-Free Mortgages for doctors willing to work outside Lagos/FCT.
2. Federal Price-Matching Mortgage Payments tied to years of rural service.
3. Doctor-Only Federal Pension Scheme, 20-year lock-in, price-matched.
4. Free Education for children of doctors in under served zones.
5. Zero-Interest Loans for Private Practices, scaled to size and location.

29, 999
because i go soon leave una

Akissani:
29, 999
because i go soon leave una

Abeg now......Oya no vex !!!!
Bros...E never reach like this....

Abi, i go lie for you ?

Nigeria has one of the lowest numbers of practising doctors and medical personnel in the world.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that a minimum of 4.45 health workers (including physicians, nurses, and midwives) per 1,000 population is needed to meet primary healthcare needs and achieve adequate coverage.






COUNTRIES WITH THE LOWEST NUMBERS OF MEDICAL DOCTORS

When will the government act ?[color=#990000][/color]

At least 30,000 employed doctors good na

How many practicing software developer do we have? Not up to 5000!

Not up to 2000 practicing petroleum engineers with the way we are importing petrol

Not up to 1000 practicing fishery graduate if not we no supposed to eat imported ice fish when we have better local fishes

Not up to 10,000 practicing pharmacologist if not we no supposed to import every drug from India

Not up to 5000 practicing computer engineers if not robots suppose replace most of these doctors

Nigeria has many problems and these greedy doctors are not part of the biggest problems Nigeria having. Every profession needs equal attention from the government to have a balanced economy

Build special schools of health that train health experts across Nigeria and keep churning them out. We can be exporting doctors to the world and they will keep increasing our remittances when they send money home to their loved ones.

Where the work dy self, the payment still get value self?
God help Nigeria

Mbok,allow people to seek greener pastures in peace

That’s the direct consequence of voting for APC since 2015.

Simply train the doctors very cheaply in Nigeria. No need to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Next is for offers to come from different countries abroad and they japa for free. Do not forget, all expenses for their journeys are paid by their foreign employers.

Next is to continue training the next set for foreign nations to come and harvest. Ironically Nigerian leaders visit foreign hospitals and are treated by the same Nigerian doctors and nurses, who they failed to pay good salaries.

Our public hospitals are disgraceful. You hardly get good diagnoses to medical issues because of poor equipments and staff shortages. It is a shame. Get to good private hospitals and the medical issues are effectively handled.

Rather than pay similar salaries with those same countries, our governments refuse.

BlackViper:


https://healthwise.punchng.com/japa-30000-doctors-practising-in-nigeria-says-nma-president/

Their plan is to stop doctors from moving out ooo

Japaing itself is not the problem but poor facilities and weak educational system to groom would be doctors.

It's high time Ministry of Education, NUC, NMA, NMC and all relevant bodies come together to reach an agreement to increase the ission quota for medical and health related courses for all universities and nursing schools.


So many JAMB applicants/candidates applied for Medicine, FG via Ministry of Education should direct schools to it at least 90% of students that applied for medicine and nursing.


The poor performing ones can be weeded off during university level


We have the youth population, they are ready to study these courses but JAMB and universities keep frustrating them, it's not done that way abroad. Relax some of these unnecessary rules and restrictions.



We need to produce more medical professionals than we can consume, that's the only way not by stopping those willing to migrate abroad, who also bring in FOREX to Nigeria.


Nigeria need foreign remittances, and one greatest way to get it is by having more Nigerians work abroad as professionals, and medical and IT professions seems to be our only hope of producing enough professionals that we can export abroad, so what do we do? Look for a way to start producing more medical and IT professionals so that we can have more than enough in Nigeria and still export without bleeding or crying fowl.


I don't understand the kind of mediocre people leading Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, NUC, NMA, NMC and other government bodies in charge of these things, na wa oh

That's about 811 doctors in every state and FCT if share equally!

And i am certain most of the doctors will be in SW!

Too poor!

I hope the minister can resolve this soon!

Hehehe! Let the leaders continue going abroad. The case will continue to get worst.

Akissani:
29, 999
because i go soon leave una

I don divert too o

Two of my friends left last month.

I hope they added them.

It will continue sha.

Nigeria is not serious about this doctor issue

When we are ready, we know what to do

One day una nor go find anybody again. Failed useless government

Ok

If you are hoping this country will get better under the current istration, you are wasting your time. Better do what will favor you and your families. Na survival of the smartest for Nigeria now.As a doctor, if you can , japa and no look back. When you have made it over there, you can bring your kids back to show them the place you escaped from to make their lives better

Desperate time comes for desperate measures
Increase capacity now for medical students in universities
Attend to medical staff welfare
Make it difficult for federal medical workers to japa

Upon all of those personal advisers selected none of them are thinking Nigeria is so disconnected.

Majority of which are anywhere but Nigeria

This is becoming a boring cliché.
Increase ission for Medicine and stop hoarding medical knowledge to cry foul later.

Cuba did it, they now have more Doctors than mechanics, and even export to other countries.

Train more practitioners. Those who read courses related to medicine, like pharmacy, Nursing, MLS, Physio, Radiography. If they are interested, let them go back to school, do, 2-3 years clinicals and graduate as physicians.

These are practical solutions, apply them.

This complain is getting too frequent and boring already. Learn from Cuba and produce more Doctors if it is a problem. The solutions are staring you in the face but you are more interested in playing politics and gatekeeping medical education, than in actually solving the problem .

malali:
I wonder how long it will take Tinubu to declare a national state of emergency on the nations healthcare system. While he is fully receiving his own healthcare in .

1. Lagos – 5,500
2. FCT – 3,200
3. Rivers – 2,100
4. Oyo – 1,800
5. Ogun – 1,600
6. Kano – 1,500
7. Kaduna – 1,300
8. Delta – 1,100
9. Anambra – 950
10. Enugu – 900
11. Edo – 850
12. Osun – 750
13. Kwara – 700
14. Plateau – 650
15. Cross River – 600
16. Abia – 600
17. Akwa Ibom – 550
18. Ondo – 550
19. Imo – 500
20. Borno – 400
21. Bauchi – 400
22. Benue – 400
23. Niger – 400
24. Kogi – 350
25. Sokoto – 300
26. Kebbi – 280
27. Gombe – 270
28. Ekiti – 250
29. Taraba – 250
30. Nasarawa – 230
31. Zamfara – 220
32. Yobe – 200
33. Ebonyi – 200
34. Jigawa – 180
35. Katsina – 180
36. Bayelsa – 150
37. Adamawa – 150

Doctors Are the New Crude Oil—And We’re Giving It Away For Free

The U.S., U.K., and Saudi Arabia don’t need to bomb us—they’re poaching Nigeria’s best minds with a smile and a g bonus.

While Nigeria spends billions training doctors… the diaspora harvests them like fruit. All while the President flies to Paris for his next medical check-up.

This isn’t negligence. It’s national betrayal.

Demand These Federal Interventions—Now:
1. Interest-Free Mortgages for doctors willing to work outside Lagos/FCT.
2. Federal Price-Matching Mortgage Payments tied to years of rural service.
3. Doctor-Only Federal Pension Scheme, 20-year lock-in, price-matched.
4. Free Education for children of doctors in under served zones.
5. Zero-Interest Loans for Private Practices, scaled to size and location.

Are you a doctor?

Don't blame those doctors who have japa.
Blame the government who destroyed the economy and country beyond repair.
Is obvious they don't have a future in Nigeria again, so long as Tinubu is president.
Go to all the federal medical centers in FCT Abuja, you will understand why politicians and the elites do not go to public hospitals.
You will tell yourself, that if you have enough money, you will never go to any public hospitals.
The government have destroyed the health sector.

People should become doctors to help the sick and not for the money and if they left because they want more money then, you should make training more doctors a priority. I hate to say this, it is not everyone that becomes doctor for money. Some truely have the ion to take care of people ..🤔

I don't know where you get your numbers but this is typical Lagos Ibadan newspaper fake news. How can Imo state that produce more graduate doctors than the whole of South West combined have less doctors than Oyo or Ogun? I am from Imo state and I know there are more than 1000 hospitals in Owerri and environs alone. This is besides at least the 30 to 50 hospitals in each local government.

malali:
I wonder how long it will take Tinubu to declare a national state of emergency on the nations healthcare system. While he is fully receiving his own healthcare in .

1. Lagos – 5,500
2. FCT – 3,200
3. Rivers – 2,100
4. Oyo – 1,800
5. Ogun – 1,600
6. Kano – 1,500
7. Kaduna – 1,300
8. Delta – 1,100
9. Anambra – 950
10. Enugu – 900
11. Edo – 850
12. Osun – 750
13. Kwara – 700
14. Plateau – 650
15. Cross River – 600
16. Abia – 600
17. Akwa Ibom – 550
18. Ondo – 550
19. Imo – 500
20. Borno – 400
21. Bauchi – 400
22. Benue – 400
23. Niger – 400
24. Kogi – 350
25. Sokoto – 300
26. Kebbi – 280
27. Gombe – 270
28. Ekiti – 250
29. Taraba – 250
30. Nasarawa – 230
31. Zamfara – 220
32. Yobe – 200
33. Ebonyi – 200
34. Jigawa – 180
35. Katsina – 180
36. Bayelsa – 150
37. Adamawa – 150

Doctors Are the New Crude Oil—And We’re Giving It Away For Free

The U.S., U.K., and Saudi Arabia don’t need to bomb us—they’re poaching Nigeria’s best minds with a smile and a g bonus.

While Nigeria spends billions training doctors… the diaspora harvests them like fruit. All while the President flies to Paris for his next medical check-up.

This isn’t negligence. It’s national betrayal.

Demand These Federal Interventions—Now:
1. Interest-Free Mortgages for doctors willing to work outside Lagos/FCT.
2. Federal Price-Matching Mortgage Payments tied to years of rural service.
3. Doctor-Only Federal Pension Scheme, 20-year lock-in, price-matched.
4. Free Education for children of doctors in under served zones.
5. Zero-Interest Loans for Private Practices, scaled to size and location.

Thats in addition to the native doctors who stone devils right?

And some are warming up to leave