Nigeria
Japa: 67% of Nigerian doctors work in UK, NHS’ll face crises if they leave – Pate

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has revealed a staggering statistic: 67% of Nigerian doctors are now practicing in the United Kingdom. In a striking statement on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Pate highlighted the critical role Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses play in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), emphasizing that the NHS would struggle without them.
Pate proposed a bold solution: countries like the UK that heavily recruit Nigerian health workers should invest in expanding pre-service education programs in Nigeria. This initiative, he suggested, could help balance the outflow of medical professionals with enhanced local training efforts.
“If Nigerians hold back from the UK, the NHS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get,” Pate stated, underscoring the vital importance of Nigerian professionals abroad.
The minister also noted that over 75% of health workers trained in Nigeria in the past year have left the country, signaling a continuous trend of migration. While acknowledging that the government cannot restrict this movement, Pate expressed a commitment to creating a more favorable environment for health workers to stay and practice in Nigeria.
The call for “health diplomacy” and ethical workforce replacement is a significant step in addressing the ongoing strain caused by the migration of health professionals, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.