Why Other Countries Recruit Nigerian Doctors, Nurses, Tinubu’s Minister Explains

• The coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigerian health workers are recruited overseas because of their high level of training
• Pate said Nigeria trains its doctors, nurses and other health workers very well, which is the reason they are being recruited overseas
• He then urged governors to establish training institutions for fresh doctors and nurses who will replace those who have left the country

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

FCT, Abuja - The coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has revealed the reason other countries are recruiting Nigerian doctors, nurses and other health workers.

Pate said Nigerian health workers are recruited overseas because of the level of training they receive in Nigeria, Channels TV reported.

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He stated this during a briefing organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja on Thursday, March 7.

The minister said:

“There is no country in the world today that has enough health workers for what it needs, that is why they are poaching from us. That is why the developed nations are recruiting our doctors because we train our doctors, our nurses, our health workers so well, that’s why they are being recruited.”

Speaking further, Pate urged state governors to establish training institutes where fresh doctors and nurses would be trained to fill the vacuum created by those who left the country for greener pastures.

“So, what are we doing about it? We manage migration policy whereby we acknowledge that some will leave but let’s train more and the expansion of the training and that requires collaboration with the Ministry of Education but also the states themselves should have training institutions.”

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The Information minister, Mohammed Idris shared video of the event via his X handle, @HMMohammedIdris

Doctors do not find the Nigerian healthcare system attractive

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed Nigeria as one of the 55 nations with the most urgent workforce issues connected to universal health coverage. Nigeria has the third-highest percentage of foreign doctors working in the UK, behind Pakistan and India.

The UK stated in its revised code of practice that unless there is a government-to-government agreement to support managed recruitment activities, health and social care organizations in England do not actively recruit from countries identified by WHO as having the most pressing health and care workforce-related challenges. Massive physician emigration from Nigeria has slowed physician population growth in relation to population growth in the nation.

Source: Legit.ng