2000 health workers leave Nigeria every year – NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says at least 2000 workers in the health sector leave the country annually.

Francis Faduyile, NMA national president, disclosed this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state,  during the opening ceremony of the association’s 59th annual general conference/delegates meeting themed “Skill Repatriation in the Health Sector: Turning Nigeria’s brain drain to brain gain.”

Faduyile was reacting to the comment of Chris Ngige, minister of labour, who said Nigeria has more than enough medical doctors to cater for its needs.

The minister, who made a U-turn after outrage, particularly on social media, had initially argued that the situation did not translate to brain drain.

Faduyile said policymakers in the country are not worried about the trend because they do not have the data.