Susan Abayomi
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised concerns over the growing trend of medical students preparing to leave Nigeria even before completing their training, warning that the development could further worsen the country’s healthcare workforce shortage.
NMA President, Prof. Afekhide-Ernest Omoti, disclosed this while speaking on the increasing migration of Nigerian doctors and the challenges confronting the country’s health sector.
According to Omoti, some medical students now begin preparing for foreign qualifying examinations while still in medical school or during their internship, with the intention of relocating shortly after completing their professional registration in Nigeria.
He said the situation reflected growing concerns among young doctors about their career prospects, remuneration, welfare and working conditions in the country.
Omoti noted that many doctors would prefer to remain in Nigeria if they could work in an environment that offers reasonable welfare, safety, career development and financial stability.
He stressed that the government needed to create conditions that would give young doctors confidence in building their careers locally rather than seeing migration as their best option.
The NMA president said the association had submitted proposals for a minimum retention package to the Federal Government, emphasising that the demand was not for salaries comparable to those offered in developed countries, but for conditions capable of encouraging doctors to remain in Nigeria.
He also expressed concern that Nigeria invests significant resources in training medical professionals, only to lose many of them to countries offering better working conditions and career opportunities.
The NMA’s concerns are supported by recent research indicating strong interest among Nigerian medical and nursing students in pursuing specialist training abroad. A 2025 study involving 2,152 students from six Nigerian universities found that 72.9 per cent of respondents who planned to specialise intended to do so outside Nigeria.
The study identified better training and expertise, access to modern equipment, improved career opportunities, quality of life and better remuneration among the major reasons students preferred overseas training.
The continued migration of doctors and other healthcare professionals has raised concerns among health-sector stakeholders over its impact on Nigeria’s already stretched healthcare system.
Omoti therefore urged the Federal Government to urgently address the factors driving medical professionals out of the country, stressing that improving welfare, safety and working conditions would be crucial to retaining the next generation of Nigerian doctors.
The NMA maintained that with the right policies and incentives, many doctors would prefer to remain in Nigeria and contribute to strengthening the country’s healthcare system.
