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The United Kingdom has saved an estimated ₦6.56 trillion in medical training costs by employing 15,831 Nigerian-trained doctors, according to analysis of the UK General Medical Council (GMC) register.
The data shows that one in every 26 doctors in the UK qualified in Nigeria, making up 4% of the UK’s 412,511 registered doctors.
Nigeria is the third-largest source of foreign-trained doctors, behind India (38,219) and Pakistan (27,638).
At a training cost of £230,000 per doctor, the UK avoided spending about £3.64bn (₦6.56trn) by absorbing Nigerian-trained physicians, whose education was subsidised by Nigeria’s universities and teaching hospitals.
Meanwhile, Nigeria faces a severe manpower crisis. Although 130,000 doctors are registered, only 55,000 are practising for a population of 242 million, leaving one doctor for every 4,400 people — far below the WHO recommendation of 1:600.
Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Yesir Kareem said poor pay, delayed salaries, overwhelming patient loads, lack of equipment, and unsafe working conditions are driving doctors abroad.
“Competitive salaries in destination countries and better work-life balance are pulling Nigerian doctors away,” he noted.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) warned that shortages are worsening health outcomes. President Prof. Ernest Omoti said: “More than 40 million Nigerians suffer from mental health disorders, yet about 85% have no access to care.”
Nigeria also has fewer than 150 psychiatrists for its population, while specialists in training are leaving before completing their careers. This has increased treatment costs, reduced access, and forced consultants to work at lower levels.
Experts say the exodus contributes to Nigeria’s high maternal and infant mortality rates, with 82,000 women dying in childbirth in 2020 and infant mortality at 72 per 1,000 live births.
In 2022 alone, Nigerians spent over $1bn on medical care abroad, underscoring the economic toll of the brain drain
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