Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have renewed calls for urgent action to retain medical professionals in the country amid rising global mobility and migration pressures.
The call was made at the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (ARD-UATH), held in Abuja.
The theme of the AGM and Scientific Conference was “Strengthening Nigeria’s Health System: The Role of Resident Doctors in an Era of Global Mobility.”
Prof. Titus Ibekwe, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, said efforts were ongoing to strengthen the health sector and improve the retention of trained medical personnel.
Ibekwe, who is also Secretary-General of the Association of Provosts of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria, described the conference theme as timely and aligned with national conversations on health system strengthening.
According to him, workforce retention remains a major concern for health authorities, particularly given the high cost and long duration required to train medical professionals.
“This is about strengthening our system to ensure good workforce retention so that professionals trained here are encouraged to stay and give their best.
“Training each healthcare professional is expensive and time-consuming. Countries are now protecting their investments in training as populations grow and health demands increase,” he said.
Ibekwe noted that even developed countries, despite their vast resources, were struggling to produce adequate manpower to meet healthcare needs.
He said measures under consideration include improved welfare packages, better conditions of service and the provision of modern tools to enable health workers perform optimally.
According to him, authorities had realized the need to improve doctors’ welfare if the country was to retain healthcare workers, although meeting all demands at once might not be feasible.
“However, support will continue for those who genuinely want to stay and serve,” he added.
Ibekwe also disclosed that ongoing reforms in the health sector include collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Education to expand medical schools and train more manpower.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Dr Emeka Ayogu, urged authorities to urgently address the welfare of medical workers.
Ayogu expressed concern over the growing number of Nigerian doctors practicing abroad, particularly in Canada.
“When you look at the number of Nigerian doctors working abroad, one marvels at it. Something urgent must be done to discourage further migration,” he said.
He identified welfare, remuneration, working conditions and inadequate staffing as key issues requiring urgent attention, while urging doctors to remain professional in the discharge of their duties.
The keynote speaker, Dr Yusuf Gazali, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Police Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Ltd., said stronger policies were needed to curb medical tourism and talent flight.
Gazali, who was represented by Mr Yakubu Enape, Head of Human Resources and Staff Development of the HMO, presented a paper titled “Reimagining the Nigerian Health Workforce: Building Capacity, Retaining Talent and Sustaining Hope.”
He warned that continued migration of trained doctors would weaken Nigeria’s health system and undermine investments in medical education.
“Allowing other countries to benefit from Nigeria’s investment in training our doctors will weaken our health system,” he said.
In another presentation titled “Beyond Japa: Creating a Future Worth Staying For,” Prof. Dike Ojji, Director of the Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), University of Abuja, advised doctors to reconsider relocating abroad.
Ojji said doctors who invested meaningfully in their country of origin would ultimately reap greater professional and personal rewards.
“The years spent in medical school give you knowledge, privilege and leadership capacity. You are meant to touch lives,” he said.
Similarly, Prof. Gazama Amos of the Department of Chemical Pathology, UATH, urged doctors to cultivate leadership qualities wherever they found themselves.
Speaking on “From Physicians’ Strikes, Tenure Elongation and Brain Drain to Self-Actualisation through Entrepreneurship,” Amos advised doctors to build skills, talents and capacity to improve their earning potential.
“You must be productive and hardworking. Build the attitude of a leader and position yourself in the right market,” he said.
In his remarks, the President of ARD-UATH, Dr Adewale-Adeleye Premiere, thanked senior colleagues and stakeholders for their presence and support at the AGM and Scientific Conference.
