President Bola Tinubu has approved a new national policy aimed at curbing the migration of health workers from Nigeria.
According to a statement on Monday by Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the policy represents a “comprehensive strategy to manage, harness, and reverse health workers’ migration.”
Pate emphasized that the policy also seeks to “encourage the return of professionals to Nigeria through attractive incentives and reintegrate them into the nation’s health system.”
He added, “This approach leverages the expertise of our diaspora to bridge gaps within the health sector.”
The policy is further designed to establish “reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure that the exchange of health workers benefits Nigeria,” according to Pate.
He called on recipient countries to implement a “1:1 match — training one worker to replace every publicly trained Nigerian worker they receive.”
Additionally, the policy focuses on improving the work-life balance for health workers in Nigeria.
Pate stated, “These measures aim to create a supportive work environment, reducing burnout and enhancing job satisfaction.”
Governance of the policy will be overseen by the National Human Resources for Health Program (NHRHP) in collaboration with state governments to ensure “responsible implementation and alignment with broader sector-wide health objectives,” Pate noted.