Within the last seven years, 6,068 Nigerian medical doctors have relocated to the United Kingdom.
A report by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, showed that 10,096 Nigeria-trained doctors moved to the UK as of August 30, 2022
The report further indicated that Nigerian doctors passed the examination to practise in the UK in 2015, while the number rose to 279 in 2016, while the figure was 475 in 2017.
The figure rose to 852 in 2018 and by the following year it further increased to 1,347.
The 2020 figure was 833 despite the fact that the GMC closed operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figure for 2021 was put at 932.
So far in 2022, the data revealed that 1,107 Nigerian-trained doctors have been licensed to practise.
Àccording to the GMC, Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign doctors working in the UK after India and Pakistan.
Spokesperson of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Alfa Yusuf, said brain drain is a menace bedevilling the health sector, adding time would come that Nigeria will have to be scouting for doctors in the country.
He said, “The only way to solve this is for the government to come up with a policy to address brain drain: good remuneration, hazard allowance paid as and when due and introduction of tax rebate, especially to health care workers.
President, Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Uche Ojinma, warned that the brain drain being witnessed in the country would worsen the health sector.
