Nigeria’s healthcare system is under growing pressure following fresh data showing that at least 4,691 doctors have relocated to the United Kingdom since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023. The figures, obtained from the General Medical Council, highlight a sharp rise in the migration of Nigerian-trained medical professionals.
The UK regulator, which maintains an official register of practising doctors along with their specialties and countries of training, indicates that the trend has accelerated significantly in recent years. This growing wave of migration not only deepens Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortage but also reflects a substantial economic setback.
With the Federal Government estimating that it costs about $21,000 to train a single doctor, the country is believed to have lost roughly $98.5 million in training investments within less than two years. The latest data brings the total number of Nigerian-trained doctors currently practising in the UK to about 15,692, placing Nigeria among the top sources of foreign-trained doctors in Britain, behind only India.
This marks a notable increase from just over 11,000 Nigerian doctors recorded in the UK as of May 28, 2025, underscoring the speed at which the exodus is intensifying.
The development comes at a time when Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at approximately 3.9 per 10,000 people, well below the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Health experts say the figures reflect a long-standing issue that continues to erode the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
Professional bodies have consistently raised alarm over the situation. The Nigerian Medical Association has pointed to poor remuneration, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate infrastructure as key drivers of the migration trend.
“Our members are overworked, underpaid and exposed to unsafe environments daily. Many are simply burnt out,” the NMA said in one of its recent statements addressing workforce migration.
Doctors Migration Surges Over Welfare Concerns
Similarly, the National Association of Resident Doctors has emphasised the strain on younger doctors, who play a critical role in Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare system.
“Doctors are leaving because the system is failing them—irregular salaries, excessive workload, and lack of training opportunities,” NARD noted during one of its nationwide engagements.
Despite the outflow of medical professionals, Nigeria continues to spend heavily on healthcare services abroad. While official foreign exchange records suggest moderate spending in recent years, broader estimates indicate that Nigerians still spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on medical tourism.
Recent data shows that foreign exchange outflow for health-related travel rose to $549.29 million in the first nine months of 2025, representing a 17.96 per cent increase from $465.67 million recorded during the same period in 2024, according to figures from the country’s apex bank.
A public health expert, David Adewole, acknowledged that the Federal Government’s national policy on health workforce migration is a step in the right direction. However, he warned that it may not address the deeper structural issues affecting healthcare delivery, especially in rural and underserved communities.
According to him, persistent challenges such as insecurity, poor pay, lack of basic amenities, and rising living costs continue to push health professionals to seek opportunities abroad.
He stated: “To make healthcare workers stay here, let the salaries be enough so that what you earn will be much more than the multiples of what you need for basic needs, like food, power supply, housing, and so forth.
“People still look at life after retirement. You might have a good policy, but its implementation is the issue. For example, you are retired, and for your retirement package, you don’t need to know anyone for it to be processed promptly.
“Then subsequently, your monthly pension, without pressing anybody, should be paid. Those things are not here.
“And when you go to the hospital abroad, if you tell them that you are in a hurry, you go to your home; they’ll bring the medicines to your doorstep.” …Punchng.com.
