A Nigerian Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon, Dr. Adebayo Adefolaseye has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu, dismissing claims that Nigeria has surplus doctors to export and describing the country’s healthcare sector as being in a state of silent emergency.
She was responding to a recent agreement between Nigeria and Saint Lucia that allows skilled Nigerian professionals to work in the Caribbean country. This deal is meant to strengthen cooperation between countries in the Global South and reconnect with African communities overseas.
The agreement was signed in Saint Lucia’s capital, Castries, by Yusuf Yakub, head of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps, and Janelle Modeste-Stephen, a top official in Saint Lucia’s Foreign Ministry.
As part of the deal, Nigerian professionals like teachers, doctors, and agricultural experts will work in Saint Lucia for two years. The Nigerian government will pay for their salaries and travel, while Saint Lucia will provide housing and local support.
However, in a passionate and plain-spoken message shared on her X handle @DrFolaseye on Sunday, the surgeon said:
“My fellow Nigerians, simple English is what I will speak to you all. The truth is that there is no doctor to export anywhere by Mr. President Tinubu. Even me, I am overwhelmed with work in Lagos.”
Highlighting the scarcity of ENT specialists in the country, the doctor noted that there are fewer than 500 ENT surgeons in Nigeria and fewer than 30 in Lagos, and some of those already have “one leg in Nigeria and one abroad.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the recommended doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:600. Nigeria currently stands at approximately 1:5,000, a ratio that reflects a severe shortfall in medical personnel, yet the government continues to act as though there is a surplus.
“The truth is, just as we have an insecurity crisis, so we also have medical insecurity. Nigeria is in a state of medical denial,” the surgeon warned.
He lamented that younger doctors no longer respond to pleas to remain in the country, as most are already preparing to leave for opportunities abroad.
“The young doctors don’t even listen to our begging anymore. Their bags are already on their way to the airport,” he said.
Even those staying for specialist training, he added, are only doing so temporarily to raise money for foreign exams.
“The few ones we managed to beg to do residency are only staying to get enough money to do the foreign exams.”
He concluded by urging President Tinubu to listen to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and prioritize a full overhaul of the country’s health system.
“Yes, it will cost you an arm and a leg and your heart, but if Nigeria’s health system is revived, it can serve all of Africa. Nigerian doctors all over the world are among the best.”
The comments come amid growing concern over the mass exodus of Nigerian healthcare professionals, with thousands migrating to countries like the UK, Canada, and the US in search of better working conditions and pay.
