Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing a worsening manpower crisis, with only about 55,000 doctors currently practicing in a country of more than 220 million people, medical experts have warned.
The alarm was raised during the Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, Lagos.
The conference focused on the growing impact of healthcare worker shortages on the mental well-being of Nigerians.
Doctors at the gathering said the mass migration of healthcare professionals, popularly known as the “Japa” phenomenon, has severely weakened the country’s health sector, particularly mental healthcare services.
According to them, at least 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country within the last five years, leaving hospitals understaffed and millions of patients struggling to access care.
Confirming the figures, President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Bala Audu, said data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) shows that although more than 130,000 doctors have been registered in Nigeria, only about 55,000 remain actively practicing in the country.
That translates to roughly one doctor for every 4,000 Nigerians—far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor to 600 people.
“The shortage has placed enormous pressure on healthcare facilities across the country,” he said. “Many Nigerian-trained doctors have relocated abroad or left active clinical practice, creating serious gaps in service delivery.”
He noted that public hospitals are grappling with staff shortages, rising patient loads, longer waiting times and increasing cases of burnout among healthcare workers.
According to the NMA president, poor salaries, inadequate working conditions, insecurity, limited career growth opportunities and underinvestment in healthcare infrastructure continue to drive doctors abroad in search of better prospects.
Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States remain major destinations for Nigerian healthcare professionals because of better pay, improved facilities and more stable working environments.
Mental health services hit hardest
Mental health experts say the consequences of the doctor shortage are particularly severe in psychiatric care, where specialist numbers are already critically low.
Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Dr. Yesir Kareem, said more than 40 million Nigerians are living with mental health disorders, yet about 85 percent have no access to treatment.
“Only about 55,000 doctors are serving over 220 million Nigerians,” Kareem said. “The shortage of psychiatrists and mental health professionals continues to widen the treatment gap.”
He warned that untreated mental illnesses contribute to substance abuse, family breakdown, unemployment, delayed diagnosis and preventable deaths, while also costing the economy billions of dollars annually.
Kareem added that approximately 94,000 doctors and nurses have left Nigeria over the years as migration pressures intensified.
He identified poor remuneration, delayed salaries, overwhelming workloads, inadequate equipment, limited training opportunities and insecurity as some of the major factors pushing healthcare workers out of the country.
Less than 150 psychiatrists left
President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Dr. Veronica Nyamali, described the situation as alarming, revealing that fewer than 150 psychiatrists are currently available to serve the entire country.
She said the shortage has forced consultants to take on duties that should ordinarily be handled by junior doctors, leaving little time for research, specialist care and training.
“There are gaps at every level,” she said. “Many of the doctors we train leave the country before completing their careers here, creating a cycle of shortages that continues to worsen.”
Nyamali warned that the scarcity of specialists is making mental healthcare more expensive and less accessible, especially in rural communities where psychiatric services are virtually non-existent.
“When specialists become scarce, access becomes more difficult and treatment becomes more expensive,” she said. “Patients often have to travel long distances to receive care.”
She also linked the brain drain to the shrinking availability of psychiatric medications, noting that several pharmaceutical companies have either reduced operations or exited the country entirely.
At the same time, she said, the growing circulation of counterfeit drugs is creating additional challenges for patients and healthcare providers.
Economic hardship fuelling mental illness
Nyamali said worsening economic conditions, insecurity, unemployment, kidnappings and substance abuse are contributing to a rise in mental health disorders across the country.
“People are facing trauma on a daily basis,” she said. “Many who were already living with mental health conditions are relapsing, while others are developing new mental health challenges because of the pressures of everyday life.”
She also expressed concern that mental healthcare remains largely financed through out-of-pocket payments, leaving many families unable to afford treatment.
Doctors demand urgent action
President of ARD, FNPH Yaba, Dr. Okuwoga Temitope, said the manpower shortage has become one of the biggest threats to quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He noted that resident doctors are increasingly battling stress, anxiety, burnout and depression due to overwhelming workloads caused by staff shortages.
The association called on federal and state governments to improve salaries and welfare packages, expand specialist training programmes, invest in healthcare infrastructure and create better working conditions to discourage migration.
Doctors also advocated the integration of mental health services into primary healthcare centres, wider adoption of telepsychiatry and stronger public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage early treatment.
They warned that unless urgent steps are taken to retain healthcare workers and strengthen the health sector, the country’s doctor shortage could deepen further, with serious consequences for millions of Nigerians who depend on an already overstretched healthcare system.
