Japa: Jubilation as Tinubu Approves Policy to Retain Nigerian Health Workers, Provides Incentives

Japa: Jubilation as Tinubu Approves Policy to Retain Nigerian Health Workers, Provides Incentives

  • President Bola Tinubu has approved a new policy to curtail the mass exodus of Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad
  • Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, made this disclosure in a statement issued to the press
  • According to the minister, the new policy will also encourage the return of medical experts to Nigeria through attractive incentives and reintegrate them into the nation’s healthcare system

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

President Bola Tinubu has approved the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration to address the challenges facing Nigeria’s health human resources.

Tinubu moves to stop mass exodus of Nigerian healthcare professionals
Nigeria targets runaway health workers with incentives in new policy. Photo credit: Ajuri Ngelale
Source: Facebook

Nigeria revamps healthcare system with new policy

The coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in a post shared on his X handle on Monday, August 12.

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As reported by The Punch, Pate said the policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it is a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse healthcare worker migration.

“This approach leverages the expertise of our diaspora to bridge gaps within the health sector,” the statement reads.

Health workers: Details of Tinubu's new policy, incentives

Read Pate's full statement below:

“This afternoon, HE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR @officialABAT, in-Council, approved a landmark policy set to transform healthcare human resource management in Nigeria.
“The National Policy on Health Workforce Migration addresses the critical challenges facing Nigeria’s health human resources. As the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, Mr President’s commitment to a resilient and robust healthcare system is powerfully reflected in this forward-looking policy.

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“This policy is more than just a response to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals; it’s a comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health worker migration. It envisions a thriving workforce that is well-supported, adequately rewarded, and optimally utilised to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians.”

Nigerians react to policy on health workers' migration

Legit.ng captured some reactions from the comment section on X, below;

@SheikhAnalo tweeted:

"Pls, where is the policy document."

@Ifups tweeted:

"This is great but as soon as I saw "collaboration with state governments", eh, that's where the system failure terminates."

@Soulmedika tweeted:

"UCH is still owing more than N1m in salary and allowance. How can you retain healthcare workers when they are not paid their salary?"

@PharmWale tweeted:

"Thank you, our honourable minister. Great stride. I pray this policy also taps into the potential of private healthcare professionals."

@NiranAdeyemi tweeted:

"Kudos. Can the document be made public?"

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Nigerian nurses working in UK reunite happily

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian nurses residing in the UK recently reunited, capturing their heartwarming memories in a touching video.

In the footage, the nurses were seen gathered in a cosy home, exchanging hugs, laughter, and meaningful conversations.

The video also showed some of the women joyfully taking photos together, clearly cherishing the special moment.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.