Over 4,600 Nigerian doctors relocate to UK in three years – Report

Nigeria's healthcare system is grappling with a severe brain drain, as evidenced by the alarming number of doctors seeking opportunities abroad. Fresh data reveals that since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, no fewer than 4,691 Nigerian doctors have relocated to the United Kingdom. This figure swells the total number of Nigeria-trained doctors practicing in the UK to approximately 15,692, making Nigeria a primary source of foreign medical talent for Britain, second only to India.

The implications of this mass migration extend beyond a simple human resource crisis; it signifies a substantial economic loss for Nigeria. With the Federal Government estimating the cost to train a single doctor at $21,000, the nation has effectively lost at least $98.5 million in training investments in under two years. This exodus occurs while Nigeria's doctor-to-population ratio remains critically low, hovering around 3.9 per 10,000 people, far below the World Health Organization's recommended threshold.

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Our members are overworked, underpaid and exposed to unsafe environments daily. Many are simply burnt out.

Health experts and medical associations have long highlighted the systemic issues driving this trend. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have repeatedly warned about poor remuneration, unsafe working environments, and inadequate infrastructure. Doctors are reportedly overworked, underpaid, and burnt out, leading many, particularly younger physicians who form the backbone of tertiary healthcare, to seek better prospects elsewhere. This situation is particularly ironic given that Nigeria continues to spend substantial amounts on healthcare abroad, with estimates suggesting Nigerians spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on medical tourism.

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Doctors are leaving because the system is failing them—irregular salaries, excessive workload, and lack of training opportunities.