Shun migration, FG tells fresh foreign-trained medical doctors
• Over 200m Nigerians rely on about 200 psychiatrists, says APN
• LCCI advocates polices to address impact of mass exodus on economy
• UK restoring order to ‘broken’ immigration system
• Visa director visits Nigeria, addresses travel documents fraud
The Federal Government has appealed to newly inducted foreign-trained medical and dental graduates not to Japa for opportunities abroad, but to remain in Nigeria and contribute to the nation’s health sector.
This appeal was made during the induction of 622 graduates organised by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in Abuja yesterday.This is as the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) said that less than 200 psychiatrists are available to address the mental health needs of over 200 million Nigerians.
In his address, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, told the inductees that as healthcare professionals, they must demonstrate empathy, resilience and adaptability.
Kachollom noted that the health sector in Nigeria, over the years, had been inundated with complaints by citizens about the state of healthcare system, adding that the government was moving towards quality care, safe care and safety of people. 622 foreign-trained doctors were inducted on Thursday with 606 Medical doctors and 16 dentists.
“And I must say this, please don’t Japa, let’s do this together and build a better image for the health sector and build our nation.” Addressing the challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare sector, including workforce migration, MDCN Chairman, Prof. Afolabi Lesi, also appealed to the inductees to remain in the country and contribute to national health goals.
“The Federal Government is working diligently to improve conditions for health professionals. Your involvement in national health initiatives, community outreach, and public health campaigns will be vital in addressing the needs of underserved regions,” he said.
Also, Registrar of MDCN, Dr Fatima Kyari, encouraged the inductees to remain in Nigeria, noting that their diverse training experiences abroad could bring fresh perspectives to the local healthcare system.
Meanwhile, the APN president, Taiwo Obindo, speaking yesterday at the opening of its 55th annual general conference in Ilorin, Kwara State, partly attributed the shortfall in the mental health section to the “Japa syndrome,” a term referring to the mass emigration of professionals from Nigeria in search of better opportunities abroad.
Obindo warned that the development has left the remaining mental health practitioners overstretched and underpaid, further exacerbating the crisis.The APN president also criticised the government’s insufficient focus on mental health. He noted that while countries like Canada have a dedicated ministry of mental health and addictions, in Nigeria, mental health services remain a subprogramme within the department of public health in the ministry of health.
“Mental health in Nigeria is still a programme under the department of public health in the Federal Ministry of Health. One other area needing attention is the budgetary allocation to health, and by extension, mental health, which is less than six per cent. This falls short of the Abuja Declaration of 2001, where health allocation was to be pegged at a minimum of 15 per cent of every country’s annual budget.”
HOWEVER, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called for policies aimed at retaining talent, enhancing local opportunities, and fostering a supportive environment, to mitigate negative impacts of mass emigration (Japa).
The LCCI President, Mr Gabriel Idahosa, said this during LCCI 2024 Secondary Schools Essay competition and prize giving ceremony held on Thursday in Lagos. The event had the theme: “The Socio-Economic Impact of Mass Emigration, or Japa, on the Nigerian Economy.” Idahosa said that the scale and intensity of ‘Japa’ in recent years posed a serious challenge with critical questions about its impact on the Nigerian economy that must be examined.
“What are the costs and benefits of this migration? How does it affect industries, human capital, social services, and, ultimately, the future we are building for the next generation?” he queried.
“Statistics reveal that between 2020 and 2023 alone, Nigeria experienced a staggering increase in emigration, particularly among young professionals and recent graduates.
“The World Bank estimated that over 900,000 Nigerians migrated abroad during this period, with top destinations being Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Several factors drive this trend, including the search for better employment, educational opportunities, improved healthcare, perceived quality of life abroad and safety,” he said.
Idahosa said that this outflow of talent, skills, and innovation had created gaps in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and technology. He cited a Nigerian Medical Association report stating that between 2022 and 2023, over 10,000 Nigerian doctors left the country. This, he said, had led to a national doctor-patient ratio far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation, further straining Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.
“Many Nigerian teachers, academics, and researchers opt for roles abroad, where compensation and career development opportunities are more favorable. Leading tech firms have reported losing software engineers and data scientists, challenging Nigeria’s ambition to lead Africa’s digital transformation,” he said.
In spite of these challenges, Idahosa emphasised the potential benefits from Nigeria’s diaspora. “On the one hand, remittances from Nigerians abroad reached a record $24 billion in 2023, providing critical support for millions of households. Beyond remittances, returning professionals often bring global networks, skills, and investments that contribute to job creation and innovation,” the LCCI president said.
To address the push factors driving emigration, Idahosa called for investments in job creation, fair compensation, and skill development. He urged government and private sector partnerships to create competitive opportunities that motivate young professionals to remain in the country.
IN a related development, the United Kingdom (UK) has said net migration to the country is four times higher than it was five years ago, driven by record levels of overseas recruitment as the government acts to bring numbers down.
“The government has made clear its commitment to bring down historically high levels of net migration as new statistics released today show net migration grew almost five times higher in the space of four years to a record level of almost one million and is still four times higher than it was before the pandemic.
“Order is being restored to a broken immigration system. Upon taking office, the Home Secretary set out a new approach to end the over-reliance on international recruitment and boost economic growth to link the UK’s immigration, labour market, and skills systems to train up our homegrown workforce. At the same time, she also confirmed that changes made to key visa routes earlier this year would remain in place to drive down levels further,” the government stated.
It added that since July, enforced returns of foreign offenders and failed asylum seekers are at their highest level in half a decade. Those removed were guilty of a range of offences, including drug offences, theft, rape and murder.
“Figures published today also show a collapse in asylum decisions in the first half of 2024. By the time the new government took over in July, asylum decisions were down over 70 per cent and asylum interviews were down over 80 per cent compared to the start of the year. Since then, the government has taken immediate action to accelerate asylum decision-making and increase returns of those with no right to stay,” Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said.
This is coming a day after Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, pledged stricter immigration policies, warning that UK could no longer sustain current levels. Badenoch admitted past Tory governments failed to curb migration effectively but vowed to address the issue “without fear.”
“Immigration is at a pace too fast to maintain public services,” she said. “For decades, the political class has presided over mass migration… The system that replaced free movement is not working.”
The number of student visas issued fell by 16 per cent this year so far, while the number granted to family members fell by 84 per cent. The Migration Observatory said that the overall decline was driven primarily by applicants from Nigeria and India, which fell by 74 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively.
“The recent fall was driven primarily by a decrease in immigration following visa restrictions under the previous Conservative government – including a ban on most family members of students and care workers, as well as higher salary thresholds for private sector jobs,” said the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford on Thursday.
Yesterday, the Director of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Mr Marc Owen, arrived Nigeria for his first official visit in this role as one of the UK’s largest visa markets.
Owen has engaged with key stakeholders in Abuja and Lagos and reiterated the UKVI’s dedication to fostering strong relationships and ensuring efficient, customer-focused visa services.
In Abuja, he met with Ambassador Asari E. Allotey, Director for Legal, Migration and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he highlighted important UK visa developments including the global eVisa rollout and how to maintain the integrity of the UK’s immigration system.
He also met the Vital Registration and Digitisation Lead at the National Population Commission (NPC), Mr Makama Taala as well as Dr. Penelope Miremba, Migration Health Officer at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), where he emphasised the benefits to both UK and Nigeria of digitising records such as birth and death certificates and TB test certificates respectively, enhancing how records are stored, transmitted, and verified.
At the British Council office, the UKVI delegation toured the English language test centre, and engaged with a range of student councillors and UK university agents.
In Lagos, he met with stakeholders from the UK Joint Border Task Force (JBTF) and key business leaders. He also visited the newly inaugurated UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Ikeja, operated through the UK’s new commercial partner, VFS Global, to engage with teams on service delivery to ensure our services meet the highest standards of convenience and efficiency.
Throughout his time in Nigeria Marc also addressed the challenges posed by visa fraud and fake travel agents and cautioned visa applicants to be vigilant and reiterated the importance of using only official UKVI channels when applying for UK visas.
This step is vital to safeguarding applicants and maintaining trust in the visa process. His visit marks a new chapter in UK-Nigeria collaboration, with promises of greater engagement and impactful outcomes.
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