Nigeria recruits 30,000 health workers to combat brain drain

President Bola Tinubu has announced the recruitment of over 30,000 healthcare professionals into federal health facilities over the last two and a half years. Speaking at the West African College of Physicians 50th Annual General Meeting in Abuja, the President, represented by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Pate, emphasized that the administration is prioritizing the recruitment, retention, and welfare of the medical workforce to strengthen the national health system.

To address the migration of skilled professionals abroad, often referred to as ‘Japa’, the government has doubled quotas for medical education and supported the training of tens of thousands of frontline workers. The administration is also investing in postgraduate medical education, specialist institutions, and digital innovations to improve disease surveillance and patient record management.

Further reforms include the revitalization of primary healthcare centers, the construction and equipping of health facilities, and increased direct financing through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund. Additionally, the government is working to expand health insurance coverage to protect citizens against catastrophic medical expenditures.