By Aderogba George, News Agency of Nigeria, Abuja
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have renewed calls for urgent action to retain medical professionals in the country amid rising global mobility and migration pressures.
The call was made at the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (ARD-UATH) in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the AGM/Scientific Conference is “Strengthening Nigeria’s system: the role of resident doctors in an era of global mobility”.
Prof. Titus Ibekwe, Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, said that efforts were ongoing to strengthen the health sector and ensure the retention of trained medical workers.
Ibekwe, who is also the Secretary-General of the Association of Provosts of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria, commended the conference theme, calling it timely and in line with national discussions on health system strengthening.
According to him, workforce retention remains a major concern to health authorities, especially given the high cost and time involved in training medical professionals.
“This has to do with how to strengthen our system to ensure good workforce retention so that professionals who are trained here are encouraged to stay back and give their best.
“Training each professional workforce is very expensive and time-consuming. Countries are now protecting their investments in training as populations grow and health demands increase,” he said.
Ibekwe noted that even developed countries, in spite their huge resources, were struggling to produce adequate manpower to meet their health needs.
He said that measures being considered include improved welfare packages, better conditions of service and provision of modern tools to enable health workers perform optimally.
According to him, authorities have realised the need to improve doctors’ welfare if the country must retain healthcare workers, although meeting all demands at once may not be possible.
“However, support will continue for those who genuinely want to stay back and serve,” he said.
Ibekwe added that part of ongoing reforms in the health sector involves collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Education to expand medical schools and train more manpower.
Also speaking, Dr Emeka Ayogu, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, urged authorities to urgently address the welfare of medical workers.
Ayogu expressed concern over the growing number of Nigerian doctors practising abroad, especially in Canada.
“When you look at the number of Nigerian doctors working abroad, one marvels at it. Something urgent must be done to discourage further migration,” he said.
He identified welfare, remuneration, working conditions and availability of enough doctors as critical issues requiring attention, and urged doctors to remain professional in the discharge of their duties.
The keynote speaker, Dr Yusuf Gazali, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Police Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) Ltd., said stronger policies were needed to discourage medical tourism and talent flight.
Gazali, who was represented by Mr Yakubu Enape, Head of Human Resources and Staff Development of the HMO, delivered a paper titled “Reimagining the Nigerian health workforce: building capacity, retaining talent, and sustaining hope.”
He said continued migration of trained doctors would weaken the country’s health system and undermine investments made in medical education.
“Allowing other countries to benefit from Nigeria’s investment in training our doctors will weaken our health system,” he said.
In his presentation titled “Beyond japa: creating a future worth staying for,” Prof. Dike Ojji, Director, Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), University of Abuja, advised doctors to reconsider relocating abroad.
Ojji said doctors who invested meaningfully in their country of origin would ultimately reap greater rewards.
“The years spent in medical school give you knowledge, privilege and leadership capacity. You are meant to touch lives,” he said.
Similarly, Prof. Gazama Amos of the Department of Chemical Pathology, UATH, urged doctors to cultivate leadership qualities wherever they found themselves.
Speaking on “From physicians’ strikes, tenure elongation and brain drain to self-actualisation via entrepreneurship”, Amos advised doctors to build skills, talents and capacity to improve their earning potential.
“You must be productive and hardworking. Build the attitude of a leader and be in the right market,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Adewale-Adeleye Premiere, President of ARD-UATH, thanked senior colleagues and stakeholders for their presence and support at the AGM and Scientific Conference.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA