Nurses’ migration threatens Nigeria’s fragile health system — NANNM President

The alarming exodus of Nigerian nurses and midwives is a crisis that demands immediate national attention. Haruna Mamman, President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), has rightly sounded the alarm, warning that this 'brain drain' is critically undermining our already fragile healthcare system. The statistics are stark: over 57,000 nurses have left Nigeria in just five years, seeking better opportunities elsewhere.

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It is on record that Nigerian nurses and midwives are among the best across the world.

This is not merely a matter of individual career choices; it is a systemic failure that leaves our hospitals and clinics severely understaffed. The 'push factors' Mamman identifies – poor pay, difficult working conditions, and pervasive insecurity – are precisely the issues that our government and stakeholders must address. It is heartbreaking that our highly trained professionals, among the best in the world, feel compelled to leave the country they trained to serve.

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For the past five years, over 57,000 Nigerian nurses have left the country for different parts of the world in search of greener pastures. This should call for greater concern from both the Government and other stakeholders.

While we celebrate International Nurses Day, the theme 'Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives' serves as a poignant reminder of what we stand to lose. Empowering our nurses means investing in them: ensuring fair remuneration, improving working environments, providing clear career progression, and guaranteeing their safety. Without these fundamental changes, we cannot expect them to stay, nor can we expect our healthcare system to function effectively, especially in rural and underserved areas.

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Many nurses wish to stay and work in Nigeria, but the ‘push factors,’ which include poor remuneration, poor working conditions, kidnapping/insecurity, non-career progression, lack of job opportunities, etc., keep pushing them to leave the country.

Western media often focuses on the demand for nurses in their own countries, but the Nigerian perspective is one of profound loss. We are losing the very professionals who are the backbone of our health sector. This trend exacerbates existing inequalities in healthcare access and quality. NANNM's call for structural reforms is not just a plea; it is a vital necessity for the survival and improvement of healthcare for all Nigerians. We must create an environment where our nurses feel valued, secure, and empowered to build their futures here at home.

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The theme highlights that for nurses to maximise their