Trained Nigerian Doctors.
From May 29, 2023, till now, around 1,197 doctors who learned in Nigeria have moved to the United Kingdom. This increase suggests that Nigeria might soon become the second-biggest source of foreign-trained doctors for the UK, just behind India, which is currently in the lead.
The numbers mentioned are gathered from the General Medical Council (GMC) register, the official list of UK medical professionals.
Between May 29 and December 1, 2023, approximately 1,197 doctors trained in Nigeria received licenses to work in the UK. This brings the total number of licensed Nigerian doctors in the country to 12,198.
It’s important to note that this count doesn’t include doctors trained in Nigeria who are currently working in other countries.
In diverse medical fields, the data shows the presence of 73 Nigerian-trained doctors in anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine, 61 in emergency medicine, 241 in general medicine, 207 in obstetrics and gynecology, 17 in occupational medicine, 16 in ophthalmology, 164 in pediatrics, and 50 in pathology.
Moreover, there are 35 in public health, 357 in psychiatry, 29 in psychiatry, and 135 in surgery.
The increasing migration of healthcare professionals has sparked concerns, especially within the Nigerian Medical Association, which worries about the possibility of Nigeria having to import doctors in the future due to the high rate of brain drain.
The numbers indicate a notable rise in the trend: 233 Nigerian doctors relocated to the UK in 2015, a figure that surged to 279 in 2016, 475 in 2017, and escalated to 1,347 in 2019.
Even in 2020, a year marked by GMC operational closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, 833 doctors migrated. The trend persisted with 932 doctors leaving in 2021.
Professor Emem Bassey, Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, emphasized growing concerns about brain drain, noting that professionals are not only leaving for the UK but also for other African nations.
Countries like Sierra Leone and Gambia are luring specialists from Nigeria with significantly higher wages, creating a major crisis in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, with professionals across various medical disciplines departing the country in large numbers.