Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system is facing fresh pressure as at least 4,691 doctors have moved to the United Kingdom since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, according to new data from the General Medical Council.
The figures highlight a deepening workforce crisis, with thousands of locally trained doctors leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
Beyond the human resource impact, the migration also represents a major economic loss. With the Federal Government estimating that it costs about $21,000 to train a single doctor, Nigeria is believed to have lost roughly $98.5 million in training investments within less than two years.
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The latest data shows that about 15,692 Nigeria-trained doctors are now practising in the UK, making the country one of the largest sources of foreign-trained medical professionals in Britain, behind only India. This marks a sharp rise from just over 11,000 recorded in May 2025.
The New Daily Prime reported in January that the number of practising doctors in the country has dropped sharply to about 40,000, far below the estimated 300,000 required to adequately serve a population of over 220 million.
The trend is particularly concerning given Nigeria’s low doctor-to-population ratio, which stands at about 3.9 per 10,000 people—far below the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization.
Medical bodies have repeatedly warned that worsening working conditions are driving the exodus. The Nigerian Medical Association said many doctors are overwhelmed by poor pay, unsafe environments, and heavy workloads.
“Our members are overworked, underpaid and exposed to unsafe environments daily. Many are simply burnt out,” the association said in a recent statement.
Similarly, the National Association of Resident Doctors noted that younger doctors—who form a critical part of the healthcare system—are increasingly leaving due to limited opportunities and irregular salaries.
“Doctors are leaving because the system is failing them—irregular salaries, excessive workload, and lack of training opportunities,” the group stated.
The growing migration comes amid continued spending on medical care abroad.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria indicates that Nigerians spent $549.29 million on health-related travel in the first nine months of 2025, a 17.96 per cent increase from $465.67 million recorded during the same period in 2024.
