President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a National Health Workforce Policy to transform Nigeria’s healthcare and curb health workforce migration.
Gatekeepers News reports that the newly established National Policy on Health Workforce Migration was announced in a statement released by Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate on Tuesday.
According to the statement; the policy aims to address critical issues surrounding migration of healthcare professionals and build a resilient and well-supported workforce.
The minister 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.”
“This approach leverages the expertise of our diaspora to bridge gaps within the health sector.”
“Also, the policy champions reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure that the exchange of health workers benefits Nigeria.”
“These bilateral and multilateral agreements are designed to protect national interests while respecting the rights and aspirations of our healthcare professionals.”
“We call on recipient countries to implement a 1:1 match — training one worker to replace every publicly trained Nigerian worker they receive.”
Pate noted that the policy recognises importance of work-life balance and has taken into consideration routine health checks, mental well-being support, and reasonable working hours, especially for younger doctors.
He added, “These measures aim to create a supportive work environment, reducing burnout and enhancing job satisfaction.”
“The governance of this policy will be overseen by the National Human Resources for Health Program (#NHRHP) within @Fmohnigeria, in collaboration with state governments. This ensures responsible implementation and alignment with broader sector-wide (#SWAp) health objectives.”
