What a nation as Nigeria adds something new in the rule book: “Mr President has officially signed into law the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, a landmark legislation aimed at curbing the mass emigration of healthcare professionals from Nigeria. This policy, which has been a subject of significant debate, among other things, legally binds healthcare personnel to remain and work in Nigeria after completing their education, a response to the growing brain drain that has severely impacted the country’s health sector.“
I am not qualified to comment on this since I am also part of the problem – we all received subsidized or free education only to leave the nation. So, you should understand my pains. Yet, the action Nigeria has taken is what the global health activists would have championed at the United Nations level: find a protocol to pay the most important professionals in the world – healthcare workers – to remain and work where they are most needed.
“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 utilized to meet the healthcare needs of all Nigerians,” Pate stated.
Pate further elaborated on the policy’s ambitious goals, emphasizing the importance of the Nigeria Human Health Resource Program. This program sets a framework for regular reviews of working conditions, ensuring that health workers, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, receive the recognition and rewards they deserve.
So, when Australia comes to Nigeria to ransack our clinics, luring the nurses and doctors away, and tomorrow publishes papers saying that the Nigerian healthcare system is weak, I feel bad. But to those doctors and nurses, no hard feelings – this world is a market, the Igbo Nation says.
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Personally, there needs to be a global fund where the developed economies must drop money so that the developing ones can use it to bring parity on required nurses, doctors, etc. It could be $1 billion, and Nigeria gets $50m to train say 20,000 doctors. Australia can come and pick 1000 when Nigeria knows it needs just 10,000. But it would be immoral for Australia to come for those amazing doctors whose education has been subsidized by Ovim citizens, via their small rates and taxes.
The United Nations – this is your moment; if you are truly serious on quality healthcare delivery for all, set up that fund, so that the Nigerian people can retain these miracle workers in Nigeria or UK, Australia, etc can fund their education in Nigeria, enabling Nigeria to scale the production to accommodate their needs!
Why Doctors Are Leaving Nigeria
Why is the healthcare system in Nigeria collapsing? Nigeria is severely poor even though most of us think the nation is rich. The healthcare budget of South Africa is larger than Nigeria’s national budget. But understand that Nigeria is 3 times the population of South Africa.
The fundamental challenge in Nigeria is the illusion of wealth and prosperity where everyone thinks the nation is RICH. The Harvard University annual budget is many times more than the national education budget of Nigeria.
In the Igbo Nation, we say “uwa bu ahia” which means that everyone has a right to trade and do business anywhere in the world, including the healthcare sector as I noted: “But to those doctors and nurses, no hard feelings – this world is a market, the Igbo Nation says.” Indeed, Nigeria should not restrict the ability to trade talent and skill because that violates the International Labour Organization charter.
However, it gets complicated because Nigeria is a state, neither a person nor a company. The state has declared a war, and is conscripting healthcare workers, just as any nation does when there is an actual war.
On this healthcare matter, I have laid out my suggestion. The Nigerian government should consider it, and urgently talk to the governments where the professionals are going. The UK can drop $20 million even as Nigeria gives them a pass to recruit doctors, with Nigeria knowing that it has the financial support to replace 3x they have taken as well as provide better support to those in Nigeria.
(On restricting policy makers from traveling abroad for health-related issues, that is not worth discussing because that type of leadership will not win elections in Nigeria because anyone who campaigns on that will be seen as “strange”!)
Nigeria Signs Policy to Curb Emigration of Nigerian Healthcare Workers Into Law
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What do we even want as a people? You cannot build a great society by shifting responsibilities and blaming everyone else but yourself. If we agree that the lives of Nigerians in Nigeria matter, then we must agree on how they will receive adequate medical care. Please do not start any argument by saying that health workers must be well remunerated, because there’s no profession that accepts poor remuneration.
What is our earning power as a country and what should a fair compensation look like? Is it something we can afford? If yes, can you run the numbers and show how it can be funded? You do not build by destroying, so if you think by constantly giving in to those who are out there to reduce you to rubbles, you will soon learn that no other country works for your own interest.
If we want a working Nigeria where professionals will focus in delivering their services and at the same time living within our means, then we will need to rise to the occasion. Once you blame someone else, you are irresponsible.
Can Nigerians fix Nigeria and treat their own people in Nigeria? If yes, we will have to show it. No one legislates love or patriotism, if it’s not there, it is not there. If you need a law to stop you, then you can’t be here.