Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Nigerian government to prioritise the welfare of health professionals in order to curb the growing emigration trend among medical personnel.

Speaking during a live programme on Channels Television aired Tuesday night, Obasanjo addressed the ongoing outflow of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers from Nigeria to countries in the West and Asia in search of better working conditions.

He noted that the country continues to lose skilled professionals due to the absence of meaningful support systems and incentives.

According to the former president, retaining qualified personnel requires deliberate investment in staff welfare, functional infrastructure, and modern medical equipment.

Obasanjo stated that many of the professionals trained in Nigeria are now leaving because they find better opportunities abroad. He emphasised the need for the country to provide a conducive environment that would encourage them to stay.

He said, “For hospitals, especially when many Nigerians who have been trained as medical personnel in the country are going out of the country looking for better conditions. How do you hold them here? We have to give them a bit of incentive.

“We need all the medical personnel we can have because for a hospital to deliver, you need the right environment, and that’s the refurbishing and renovation.

“You need the equipment and then you need the personnel.”
Nigeria has seen a steady outflow of healthcare workers in recent years, with many citing poor remuneration, limited resources, and security concerns as
major drivers of migration.