The International College of Surgeons, Nigerian Section, ICS-NS, has said the country lost no fewer than 6,221 doctors to the United Kingdom in the last six years.
According to the college, this has made it difficult for over 40 million Nigerians to see a doctor, as the patient-to-doctor ratio has risen sharply.
President of the college, Prof. Akanimo Essiet, and the Secretary-General, Prof. Lucky Onotai, in a communique issued at the end of the college’s 56th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in Lagos weekend, and signed by them, said in part: “The ‘JAPA’ phenomenon has drastically reduced our healthcare workforce.
”Evidence shows that the gap widens and the number of registered Nigerian doctors in the UK rose from 4,765 in 2017 to 10,986 in 2023. This meant that 6,221 doctors were lost to the UK in the past six years.
This suggests that over 40 million Nigerians will find it harder to see a doctor.