President Bola Tinubu has approved a National Policy on Health Workforce to transform Nigeria’s healthcare and reintegrate Diaspora professionals to the healthcare sector. This was disclosed in a statement by Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.
He said, “The National Policy on Health Workforce Migration is a comprehensive strategy to manage and reverse the migration of healthcare professionals. It aims to create a robust healthcare system where workers are well-supported and adequately rewarded.
“By fostering an environment conducive to professional growth, we hope to retain our best talents and ensure they are well-recognized.
“The policy not only encourages the return of our talented professionals but actively reintegrates them into our health system. This approach leverages the expertise of our Diaspora to bridge gaps within the health sector.”
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday on the Channels Television’s programme Politics Today, Pate said, “UK will need Nigerian doctors. 67% of our doctors go to the United Kingdom and 25% of the NHIS workforce is Nigerian.
“Nigerians are very vibrant, very entrepreneurial, and very capable wherever they are. If Nigerians hold back from the UK, for instance, the NHIS will struggle to provide the services that many Nigerians are going there to get.
“We’re not stopping anyone from leaving. We’re accepting that migration is here to stay — people will leave, some will come back, some will migrate here from elsewhere.
“You’re free to leave, but we will work on making the environment more conducive, to make you more likely to stay than leave, and to attract/incentivize those who’ve left, to come back.”
