Over 16,000 Nigerian Nurses and Midwives Licensed to Work in UK Amid Brain Drain Concerns
At least 16,156 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been officially licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and September 30, 2025, according to data from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) obtained exclusively by The PUNCH on Wednesday.
The figures highlight a growing trend of healthcare professionals leaving Nigeria for better pay, career growth, and working conditions abroad—a phenomenon widely referred to as japa. This migration is placing severe strain on Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly in underserved areas.
The NMC, which regulates nursing and midwifery professionals in the UK, confirmed in an email that “as of 30 September 2025, there were 16,156 nurses on the register who were educated in Nigeria.” This marked an increase from 15,421 Nigerian-trained nurses recorded on March 31, 2025, representing a 4.8% rise over six months.
The council also noted a decline in international recruitment across major source countries, including India, the Philippines, and Nigeria. Although UK-trained professionals continue to join the register, the growth has been insufficient to offset the drop in foreign recruitment, slowing overall register expansion.
Locally, the 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics report, published by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in November, indicated that 43,221 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists left Nigeria between 2023 and 2024. Among them, over 23,000 nurses and midwives migrated abroad, with top destinations including the United States (8,613), the United Kingdom (7,463), Canada (5,603), Saudi Arabia (1,231), and Ireland (989).
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, highlighted the country’s severe healthcare workforce shortage, noting that Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio is 1:5,000, far below the WHO’s recommendation of 1:600, while the nurse-to-population ratio stands at 1:2,000 against the WHO benchmark of 1:300.
Salako, however, emphasised that the government remains committed to bridging these gaps by strengthening primary healthcare, expanding the Health Workforce Registry, increasing training quotas for health professionals, and implementing retention policies to curb the migration of skilled workers.
