Nigeria’s growing shortage of medical doctors is forcing states to search for urgent solutions as rising demand for healthcare continues to outpace the number of professionals available to provide it.

Fresh concerns from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ogun and Akwa Ibom states have highlighted the scale of the challenge, with one state warning of a severe shortage of doctors and the other calling for expanded medical training to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce.

In Ogun State, the NMA said only about 1,200 doctors are currently serving a population of more than nine million people, leaving one doctor to care for roughly 7,500 residents. The association described the situation as unsustainable, warning that the shortage is placing enormous pressure on healthcare workers and limiting access to quality medical care.

The association attributed the shortage largely to the migration of doctors to other countries in search of better pay, improved working conditions and career opportunities, adding that the trend has continued to weaken healthcare delivery across the state. It also called for improved welfare packages, better remuneration and the recruitment of more doctors to stem the growing manpower gap.

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In Akwa Ibom, the state chapter of the NMA argued that increasing the number of medical schools should form part of the long-term solution to Nigeria’s healthcare workforce crisis.

The association called for the establishment of additional medical schools and a Federal Medical Centre in the state, saying the current training capacity is insufficient to meet the country’s growing demand for doctors. It noted that expanding medical education would help produce more healthcare professionals while improving access to quality medical services in the future.

Although the two state branches proposed different approaches, both agreed that Nigeria’s healthcare system can no longer keep pace with a rapidly growing population unless deliberate efforts are made to train, recruit and retain more medical professionals.

The concerns reflect a wider national challenge. Health experts have repeatedly warned that the migration of doctors, combined with increasing healthcare needs, has left hospitals across the country struggling with critical manpower shortages, resulting in heavier workloads for those who remain and longer waiting times for patients.

Medical associations have consistently maintained that addressing the crisis will require a combination of improved welfare, expanded medical education, increased investment in health infrastructure and policies that encourage doctors to remain and practise in Nigeria.

Meiza Nigeria