Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system is facing a silent but deepening crisis: the rapid disappearance of its doctors.
New data from the Federal Ministry of Health reveal that the number of practising doctors in Nigeria fell sharply from 66,241 in 2024 to about 55,000 in 2025, a staggering 16.9 per cent decline in just one year.
The figures, contained in the Ministry’s 2025 Joint Annual Review and corroborated by the 2024 State of Health Report, signal a dangerous reversal in a sector that is already stretched beyond capacity.
Only a year earlier, Nigeria had recorded a modest increase in its medical workforce, rising from 64,949 doctors in 2022 to about 66,241 in 2024—an improvement of roughly two per cent.
Even then, experts warned the growth was grossly inadequate for a country of over 220 million people. The 2025 data now confirm those fears: the pipeline has not only stalled, but it is also collapsing.
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At the heart of the decline is a surge in health worker attrition, driven overwhelmingly by external migration.
According to the Joint Annual Review, migration among health workers rose by 200 per cent across all cadres between 2023 and 2024.
In 2024 alone, 4,193 doctors and dentists left Nigeria, with approximately 66 per cent relocating to the United Kingdom. Others moved to Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and other countries offering better pay, safer working environments, regulated hours, and clearer career pathways.
Compounding the crisis is a licensing gap within the health sector. Ministry data show that only about half of registered health professionals are actively licensed to practise. Regulatory bottlenecks, poor workforce planning, and underutilisation of available personnel have left thousands of trained professionals idle while hospitals remain desperately understaffed.
The imbalance is also geographic. Southern states account for 62 per cent of Nigeria’s doctors, while the northern states hold just 28 per cent. The Federal Capital Territory makes up the remaining 10 per cent. The result is a widening healthcare desert across much of northern Nigeria and rural communities nationwide.
Far Below Global Standards
Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio paints an even bleaker picture. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends between 10 and 17 doctors per 10,000 people, roughly one doctor for every 600 to 1,000 patients.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) estimates the ratio at one doctor to 9,083 patients. To meet WHO standards, the Federal Ministry of Health estimates that Nigeria would need about 391,230 practising doctors – more than seven times the current number.
‘This Is an Emergency’ — NARD Speaks
Reacting to the development in an exclusive interview with Pinnacle Daily, Dr Osundara Tope Zenith, Immediate Past President of NARD, described the situation as a full-blown national emergency.
“The sharp decline in the health workforce is an emergency that needs urgent attention,” he said. “The factors driving doctors away are well documented and known to all stakeholders in our health system.”
According to Dr Zenith, poor remuneration remains the strongest push factor.
“Poor incentives top the list. This is clearly highlighted even in the Ministry’s own policy on health workforce migration. When welfare is not prioritised, retention becomes impossible,” he said.
Another major issue is excessive working hours. Nigerian doctors, he noted, work an average of 120 hours per week, double what is considered safe or humane.
“One hundred and twenty hours per week is not compatible with a good life,” he said. “Ideally, doctors should not work more than 60 hours weekly. Doctors deserve to live well.”
He added that excessive workload, where doctors combine clinical duties with administrative responsibilities, has driven many to seek opportunities abroad.
The consequences are already unfolding in hospitals across the country.
According to Dr Zenith, the shortage has led to rising medical errors, suboptimal care, and repeated hospital visits for the same ailments.
“When care is inadequate, patients suffer more. One doctor attending to nearly 10,000 patients is not healthcare delivery; it is survival medicine,” he said.
Longer waiting times, rushed consultations, delayed diagnoses, and overstretched emergency units have become the norm rather than the exception.
A National Security and Development Threat
Dr Kelechi Izuagba, Assistant Secretary of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN-FCT), echoed these concerns, warning that the crisis extends beyond health.
“This decline is driven by brain drain, poor working conditions, irregular pay, and burnout,” she said. “Many doctors are not leaving because they want to, but because the system makes it increasingly difficult to stay.”
She noted that the impact is most severe in rural and underserved areas, where access to care is shrinking rapidly.
“We are seeing longer waiting times, overworked doctors, reduced access to services, and disruptions in specialist care. Ultimately, patients pay through delayed treatment and higher out-of-pocket expenses,” she said.
Dr Izuagba warned that when doctors leave, maternal and child health outcomes worsen, chronic diseases are poorly managed, and hospitals struggle to function.
“This is not just a health issue; it is a development and security issue,” she added.
The Cost of Inaction
Both experts warned of dire long-term consequences if urgent reforms are not implemented.
Dr Zenith cautioned that Nigeria risks eroding universal health coverage and rendering primary healthcare centres moribund.
“Most PHCs already do not have doctors. This means people in underserved areas are effectively disenfranchised from quality healthcare,” he said.
Dr Izuagba warned of a collapse in specialised care, weakened medical education, increased medical tourism, and rising morbidity and mortality.
“Public trust in the healthcare system will gradually erode,” she said. “The cost of inaction will be far greater than the cost of reform.”
Both experts agree that retention is still possible, but only with decisive action. They recommend competitive and timely remuneration, regulated working hours, one-for-one staff replacement, improved working conditions, expanded training opportunities, and a clear national strategy to retain health workers.
As Nigeria grapples with economic uncertainty and mounting social pressures, the exodus of its doctors may prove one of the most consequential crises of all, quietly unfolding but with life-and-death implications for millions.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
