Wetin dey happen, my people? E don dey plenty as 16,156 nurses and midwives wey train for Naija don collect dem license to work for UK from 2017 to September 30, 2025. Na true, wey PUNCH report am now!

This number no be small matter o! E show say japa don become serious trend for our healthcare workers dem wey dey find better life abroad, as dem dey waka go places wey go fit take care of dem well-well with beta pay and better working conditions. Na so e be, as this migration dey seriously affect our healthcare system, especially for places wey no get enough doctors and nurses.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for UK na the body wey dey regulate dis nurses dem. Dem talk say as at September 30, 2025, dem get exactly 16,156 nurses wey train for Naija on dem register. Before this one, na March 31, 2025, dem report say e be 15,421, meaning say dem don increase by 4.8 percent within just six months. E clear say Naija dey follow behind Philippines and India as di third highest country wey dey send nurses abroad.

Wetin we dey observe now, e be like say international recruitment don fall for many countries, even dem top three wey wey mention before. E come mean say although plenty UK nursing graduates dey join the NMC register, dem no fit balance di number as Naija nurses dey the run. A report wey drop recently talk say between 2023 and 2024, up to 43,221 health workers like doctors, nurses, and pharmacists don japa from Naija.

As per di statistics, e be like say over 23,000 Naija nurses and midwives don pack dem bag go abroad just to find beta work. Di places wey dem dey rush go na United States, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland. Na wah o! Our Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, don raise alarm say our doctor to population ratio na 1:5,000, while di nurse to population ratio na 1:2,000! Di WHO talk say e suppose be 1:600 for doctors and 1:300 for nurses.

But no worry, Salako don promise say government dey work on am. Dem go try to improve how healthcare dey run for Naija, increase di training quota for health professionals, and make sure nurses fit stay for home instead of looking for better pastures abroad.

As e be so, na serious matter we dey face, but we go keep to dey shine our eye. Naija go soon find solution to dis japa matter and ensure we fit keep our skilled hands for our healthcare system. Naija nurses, una too di try, but we go prefer if una dey work for home too!