Experts Urge Higher Pay and Investment to Fix Nigeria’s Health Workforce Crisis

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Stressing that efficiency measures alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s critical staffing shortages, health policy experts are calling for immediate structural reforms and higher investment to tackle the nation’s severe healthcare workforce deficit. This urgent demand follows a comprehensive virtual forum organized by the Doctors Medical Aid Foundation, where a dynamic poll revealed that 46 percent of participants identified abysmally low pay and poor remuneration as the biggest challenges facing Nigerian health workers. Substandard working conditions and inadequate overall staffing levels were cited as the next most significant barriers.

Hameed Adediran, Country Director of the foundation, moderated the webinar titled “Nigeria’s Health Workforce Crisis: An Evidence-Informed Conversation on the Future of Nigeria’s Health Workforce.”

Health Workforce Deficits as 46 Percent of Participants Cite Staffing Gaps

The severity of the workforce shortage is further complicated by geographic imbalances across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, reinforcing why 46 percent of participants prioritized workforce investments:

Operational Health Indicator	Current National Baseline	Systemic Gap & Geographic Impact
Doctor-to-Patient Ratio	1 doctor per 5,000 people	Well below the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.
Nurse-to-Patient Ratio	1 nurse per 2,000 people	Limits frontline clinical capacity in primary care.
Urban Workforce Concentration	75% of health workers	Concentrated in urban centers serving only 45% of the population.
Rural Doctor Distribution	Fewer than 4% of doctors	Leaves major rural LGAs without specialist obstetricians or surgeons.

Structural Reforms Needed as 46 Percent of Participants Highlight Pay Crisis

Addressing delegates, Dare Bodunrin, former Senior Programme Officer at the Gates Foundation, stated that the health sector has hit its absolute limit regarding resource re-allocation. Highlighting why 46 percent of participants cited poor pay as the top concern, he noted that reversing brain drain requires absorbing newly trained professionals directly into the public payroll rather than relying solely on contract arrangements.

Although the Federal Government has hired over 37,000 health workers since 2023, high migration rates continue to offset recruitment gains.

To strengthen primary healthcare centers (PHCs), Gilbert Uwadia of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) underscored the importance of multidisciplinary teams and community-based health worker initiatives to handle initial diagnostics and complex care referrals at the grassroots level.

Rising Industrial Tensions as 46 Percent of Participants Demand Welfare Actions

The urgent call to address the health workforce deficit coincides with renewed labor unrest, aligning with concerns raised when 46 percent of participants flagged low remuneration. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) issued a 14-day strike ultimatum to the Federal Government demanding the resolution of allowance arrears and improved welfare packages.

Key recommendations put forward by the expert panel include:

• Remuneration Reform: Restructuring pay scales and hazard allowances to competitive levels to halt foreign migration.

• Rural Retention Incentives: Introducing hardship allowances, clear career progression pathways, and safer working environments for rural postings.

• Private Sector Integration: Expanding public-private partnerships under strict regulatory frameworks to boost local health infrastructure.

Why It Matters: With fewer than 4 percent of doctors serving rural communities, newly renovated primary health centers will remain unstaffed unless government policies directly improve salaries and working environments.

Source: Premium Times Report, October 1, 2026.