‘Nigeria lost 15,000 nurses to brain drain in 2023’

The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Faruk Abubakar, says Nigeria lost not less than 15,000 nurses and midwives in 2023 as they left the country to seek greener pastures abroad.

Abubakar who disclosed this on Tuesday on Channels Television’s programme, ‘Morning Brief’, also noted that the number of nurses leaving the country was increasing every year.

While clearing the air on the controversy arising from the nurses’ certificate verification following a protests at the NMCN’s offices in Abuja and Lagos by Nigerian nurses to express their displeasure over what they say was an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities, he said government’s failure to address nurses’ welfare, salary scale and shortage of staff, was responsible for the brain drain being witnessed in the sector.

“42,000 nurses left the country in the last three years. Last year alone, it was over 15,000, the number is increasing year by year,” Aliyu said.

“The Federal Ministry of Health and the honourable Minister of State are working hard to ensure a very conducive working environment, with the provision of state-of-art equipment, and instruments, that will help them provide quality care for Nigerians.

“And I want to assure that within a couple of months, a lot has been integrated and provided in 2024 that will improve the welfare of the nurses that we are talking about.

“When talking about the salary they are talking about, I think it’s a general phenomenon, and I believe it’s a general thing.

“There is a lot of progress that is going on to review the salary and nurses are also included in that policy. I think it’s a general phenomenon, all other sectors are also complaining, and the government is doing a lot.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that nurses are regulated to better education and practice for Nigerians. Those who are responsible are doing their best to ensure that the welfare is attended to,” Aliyu stated, adding that the council is however, not responsible for the remuneration of nurses in the country.

“Additionally, the NANNM, which is the umbrella body (of nurses and midwives) is doing a lot. I know that there was a lot of discussion with the honourable Minister some weeks back, and all related to their welfare. The association that is responsible for that is doing its best to ensure that the welfare is improved drastically,” he added.

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