The federal government says it has approved the recruitment of over 15,000 health workers across Federal Tertiary Institutions, in a bid to tackle the strain caused by brain drain in the health sector and alleviate the burden of prolonged working hours on existing staff.

The ministry of Health and Social Welfare noted that the recruitment is a proactive response to the mass exodus of Nigerian health professionals seeking better opportunities abroad, a trend widely known as Japa , which has left many public hospitals understaffed and overstretched.

According to a statement on Saturday by Alaba Balogun , deputy Director/Head, Information & Public Relations, the approval follows special waivers granted to enable the massive employment process for various categories of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health workers.

“The recruitment for 2025 is currently ongoing with over 15,000 health workers already approved to be employed.

This recruitment drive is part of a larger strategy to ensure that Nigeria’s health facilities are adequately staffed, safe, and equipped to deliver quality care to citizens”, the statement read.

The ministry further noted that the latest recruitment follows a similar exercise in 2024 that saw over 20,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied professionals hired across 58 federal health institutions.

It said the move Is part of the Renewed Hope Health Agenda’s commitment to strengthening human resources for health.

The ministry also addressed the recent dismissal of five doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, confirming that three of the who had not appeared before a duly constituted disciplinary committee have been offered the opportunity to be reabsorbed into federal service if they wish.

The Japa phenomenon has seen thousands of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists leave for better opportunities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Gulf states leaving hospitals struggling to fill up critical positions.

The latest data from UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) show that 15,421 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and March 2025. The figure rose from 14,815 in September 2024, a 4.1% increase within six months.

The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors recently disclosed the number of Resident Doctors has dropped from 15000 tobhave less than 8000 in the last 10 years , with almost a 50% drop in residency training. (BusinessDay)