In an attempt to reduce the large number of doctors leaving the country for better opportunities and improved working conditions, the Federal Government has announced its intention to bring back the one-year postgraduate foreign training program for medical professionals.
The reinstatement of this training program is part of the National Policy for Health Workforce Migration Policy that was recently approved by President Bola Tinubu.
This new policy is aimed at attracting back around 12,400 Nigerian-trained doctors currently working overseas.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, highlighted that a significant 67% of Nigerian-trained doctors are currently practicing in the United Kingdom.
The Federal Government also mentioned plans to collaborate with the National Postgraduate Medical College to reintroduce international partnerships with selected postgraduate medical institutions, enabling Nigerian-based doctors to obtain foreign qualifications.
“This approach provides an incentive for locally based residents to remain in the programme in Nigeria and based on the collaboration programme can complete parts of the programme in the destination country,” it noted.
The government plans to collaborate with health regulatory agencies to establish a robust connection with healthcare professionals and their associations abroad, facilitating the provision of cutting-edge infrastructure and capacity development opportunities, thereby enhancing the healthcare sector.
“Government and its relevant ministries, departments, and agencies shall harness the strength of the diaspora, to enable them to return to the country on a short-term basis, or on a remote basis, to fill identified gaps within the health care system,” it stated.
The government agencies responsible for producing and recruiting healthcare professionals will develop and encourage the sharing of data on healthcare personnel who migrate or return, to inform health planning and protect national security .
“Such data would include how many HRH migrated, their practice type, reason for migration, and country of practice, amongst others. Regulatory bodies shall include and harmonise relevant data in their database to capture the required HRH information as may be required by the National Health Registry of the Federal Ministry of Health”, it added.
According to Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the new policy is a multifaceted approach that goes beyond merely addressing the current brain drain of healthcare professionals, aiming to effectively manage, leverage, and ultimately reverse the migration of health workers, while also tackling the fundamental challenges facing Nigeria’s health and human resources sector.
“As the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, Mr President’s commitment to a resilient and robust healthcare system is powerfully reflected in this forward-looking policy.
“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration. It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilised to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians,” the minister noted.
The exodus of Nigerian healthcare workers to seek better opportunities abroad has resulted in an increased workload and prolonged working hours for their colleagues who remain.
The driving forces behind this migration include inadequate medical equipment, escalating insecurity, subpar working conditions, and an unsatisfactory salary structure.
To address this, the minister emphasized the importance of the Nigeria Human Health Resource Programme, which establishes a framework for regular assessments and improvements of working conditions, ensuring that health workers, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, receive the recognition and rewards they merit, thereby incentivizing them to stay and serve.
