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Health Sector in Peril: NMA, NARD, AMLSN, Others Warn Govt on Doctor Exodus, List Solutions
Medical bodies including NMA, NARD, and AMLSN warn of mass migration of doctors and health workers from Nigeria, urging government to improve pay, welfare, security, and infrastructure to save the collapsing healthcare system.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), and other professional bodies yesterday expressed grave concern over the rising migration of medical professionals abroad, warning that the trend, widely referred to as the Japa syndrome, is worsening pressure on Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.
At the opening of its 45th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Katsina, NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara, revealed that the number of resident doctors in Nigeria has fallen from about 15,000 in 2014 to roughly 8,000 in 2024.
He explained: “The constant quest for better living conditions always drives migration. In Nigeria, this is fuelled by poor remuneration, exhaustive working conditions, and severe manpower shortages. The exodus has increased the number of critically ill patients left with inadequate healthcare providers.”
Osundara urged government to strengthen policies on incentives, salaries, and wages to reduce attrition while investing in skill training and welfare. He lamented that for over a decade, no collective bargaining agreement has been used to improve doctors’ salaries.
He further noted: “It has been observed that the strongest motivator for health workers in Nigeria is prompt salary payment and financial incentives.”
NARD recently suspended a five-day warning strike after two days, giving the Federal Government a two-week window to meet its demands. The group will reconvene on September 26 to decide whether to resume industrial action.
NMA: Government must provide incentives
The Lagos State chapter of the NMA also outlined four steps to reduce the exodus of doctors. Chairman Dr. Babajide Saheed called for a review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), improved welfare packages such as long-term housing and car loans, greater investment in training, and better infrastructure.
He stressed that decent working conditions, from call rooms to consulting offices, are just as vital as salary increases in retaining doctors.
AMLSN: “Nigeria is bleeding”
The AMLSN President, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, described the migration of health workers as a national emergency: “Nigeria is bleeding, not through bullets or bombs, but the steady flight of her most critical human resource. Every week, doctors, nurses, lab scientists, pharmacists, and others leave for foreign lands.”
He warned that tens of thousands have left in the last three years, straining hospitals, prolonging waiting times, and causing preventable deaths. He proposed urgent steps including fair pay, safer workplaces, structured career growth, diaspora engagement, and ethical management of international recruitment.
PSN: Holistic motivation required
Bola Oyawole, former chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos, criticised “selective compensation” for physicians, calling instead for improved benefits for all health workers. He disclosed that over 8,000 pharmacists had failed to renew their licences in the past five years due to migration.
He recommended approval of new allowances, an increase in retirement age, strengthening the Consultant Cadre, and fairer appointments across the health sector.
MDCAN: Govt must act on pay, security, and equipment
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) President, Prof. Appolos Ndukuba, called for urgent measures to improve pay, hospital infrastructure, security, and equipment.
He said: “Nothing will stop japa completely, but if government reduces the push factors and replicates the pull factors here, migration will reduce to the barest minimum.”
Warning that doctors are now frequent kidnap targets, Ndukuba insisted government must ensure their safety while providing functional theatres, diagnostic centres, and emergency facilities. He also dismissed punitive bonding measures, saying: “If our lawmakers can enjoy robust pay, those who save lives should be fairly compensated.”
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