Japa: Successful Nigerian Doctors Abroad Considering Returning Home – Health Minister Claims

Successful Nigerian physicians, nurses, and other health professionals working abroad are considering returning to their home country if the necessary infrastructure is put in place, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate has revealed.

Making this disclosure while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, the health minister stated that despite having the option to relocate abroad, where they would be assured of higher salaries and a better benefits package, many medical professionals have chosen to stay in Nigeria to serve the nation.

“There are also thousands who are here that, despite the opportunity to travel abroad, they are not travelling abroad, and we do appreciate them,” the minister said.

Naija News reports that he further explained that some Nigerian doctors simply go abroad to “get training abroad with the expectation that they will come back better skilled and contribute at home, while some that have been successful are also beginning to think of how to come back if the enabling infrastructure is provided.”

Speaking about the Japa migration phenomenon—which has resulted in the departure of hundreds of young health workers in recent years—Pate stated that the government is making every effort to create an environment in which health professionals can continue practising from home.

The health minister reiterated that the ‘Japa’ phenomenon is not limited to Nigeria as it is a global phenomenon.