Medical experts have warned that Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing a severe manpower crisis, revealing that only about 55,000 doctors are currently available to serve a population of over 220 million people.
The alarming disclosure was made at the Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, Lagos, where experts linked the worsening shortage of healthcare professionals to the growing “Japa” trend.
According to the doctors, more than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have emigrated in the last five years, leaving the country with a dangerously low doctor-to-patient ratio and worsening access to healthcare, particularly mental health services.
President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Omoti Ernest, said although over 130,000 doctors have been registered by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), only around 55,000 are actively practicing in the country.
With Nigeria’s population exceeding 220 million, the ratio translates to one doctor for between 3,600 and 4,000 people. far below the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of one doctor to 600 patients.
He warned that the mass migration of doctors has created severe staffing shortages, increased workloads for those left behind and reduced the quality of healthcare services, especially in public hospitals.
Thousands of doctors and other healthcare professionals have left the country in recent years, resulting in staff shortages, burnout, longer waiting times and declining quality of care, he said.
He attributed the exodus to poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, insecurity, limited career opportunities and underinvestment in healthcare infrastructure.
Speaking during the conference themed, Too Few Doctors, Too Many Patients: The Consequences of Manpower Shortage on the Mental Well-being of Nigerians,” Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Dr. Yesir Kareem, said the impact on mental healthcare has been devastating.
According to him, over 40 million Nigerians are living with mental health disorders, but about 85 per cent lack access to treatment.
Only about 55,000 doctors remain to serve more than 220 million Nigerians. More than 40 million Nigerians suffer from mental disorders, yet the majority do not have access to mental healthcare services,” Kareem stated.
He noted that untreated mental illnesses contribute to family breakdowns, substance abuse, unemployment and premature deaths, adding that the country loses billions of dollars annually due to untreated psychiatric conditions.
Kareem further revealed that approximately 94,000 doctors and nurses have left Nigeria since the onset of the Japa wave.
President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Dr. Veronica Nyamali, described the manpower shortage as a national crisis, disclosing that Nigeria currently has fewer than 150 psychiatrists.
She lamented that consultants are now performing duties meant for junior doctors because many specialists trained in Nigeria relocate abroad after completing their studies.
“There are gaps everywhere. Work that should be handled by four psychiatrists is now being done by one or two people,” she said.
Nyamali warned that the scarcity of specialists has made mental healthcare more expensive and inaccessible, particularly for people living in rural areas.
When specialists become scarce, access becomes difficult and treatment costs rise, which undermines universal health coverage, she added.
The APN president also expressed concern over the shrinking pharmaceutical industry, saying the exit of several companies has reduced access to newer psychiatric medications and encouraged the spread of counterfeit drugs.
She linked rising cases of mental illness to poverty, insecurity, unemployment, kidnappings and substance abuse.
People are being traumatised daily. Those already living with mental health conditions are relapsing more frequently, while many others are developing new disorders because of the pressures of daily life,” Nyamali explained.
She added that the high cost of treatment remains a burden because many mental health conditions are not adequately covered under health insurance schemes.
President of the ARD, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr. Okuwoga Temitope, said resident doctors are increasingly battling stress, anxiety, depression and burnout due to overwhelming workloads caused by the shortage of personnel.
He called on federal and state governments to improve salaries, strengthen welfare packages, expand specialist training and invest more in mental healthcare infrastructure.
The association also advocated the integration of mental health services into primary healthcare centres, wider adoption of telepsychiatry and increased public awareness to combat stigma and encourage early treatment.
In a communiqué issued after the conference, the doctors urged the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, to speed up the enrolment of newly employed resident doctors on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to avoid salary delays and financial hardship.
