Nigeria Adopts Incentives measures, as Strategy to Retain Healthcare Professionals.

The federal government has adopted a new national policy on health workforce migration to address the brain drain in the healthcare sector. The policy aims to create a supportive environment for healthcare professionals by enhancing infrastructural capacity, improving working conditions, and offering incentives to retain them in the country.

Key Features of the Policy

- Credit facilities and tax holidays will be offered to investors who establish private healthcare centers, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Healthcare workers will be eligible for special mortgage facilities to own houses, cars, and other essential assets.

Capacity development, career advancement, and professional development opportunities will be provided.

Rationale Behind the Policy

According to Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the policy balances the need for professionals to seek opportunities abroad with the need for the health system to deliver quality services to Nigerians. "We don't expect it to disappear overnight, but how can we as a government balance these two competing priorities?" he said.

Collaborative Effort

Chris Isokpunwu, Director of the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized that the policy is a collaborative effort between health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders.

The Challenge of Brain Drain

Nigeria faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers, with a ratio of 1.83 health workers per 1,000 population, far below the World Health Organization's recommended density of 4.45 per 1,000 population. The country has become the largest exporter of healthcare professionals in Africa, with many migrating to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

Examples of the Brain Drain

- In 2022, over 3,000 physicians requested letters of good standing from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to migrate abroad.

- The United Kingdom was the primary destination for 68% of Nigerian medical and dental professionals who migrated through the MDCN in 2022.

- Canada was the destination for 72% of Nigerian pharmacists who emigrated through the Professional Council of Nigeria (PCN) in 2022.