The total number of Nigerian-trained nurses working in the United Kingdom (U.K) has increased with Nigeria’s economic uncertainty and poor governance.
Data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), U.K, showed that the number of Nigeria-trained nurses grew from 4,310 in March 2021 to 7,256 in March 2022, representing a 68.4% year-on-year increase.
Apart from the number being the highest for Nigeria, it also ranks third for nurses trained outside the European Union/European Economic Area.
The Philippines came first with 41,090 trained nurses. India followed with 37,815 while Zimbabwe and South Africa came fourth and fifth with 3,655 and 2,894, respectively.
“People who trained in the Philippines and India continue to represent a significant proportion of our permanent register and contribute strongly to our annual growth,” the NMC said.
However, the growing number of Nigerian-trained nurses migrating abroad is now a concern as the nation’s health sector grapples with shortage of health workers.
According to the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), over 11, 000 Nigerian-trained nurses have migrated to developed nations between 2019 and 2022.
“The country is witnessing a shortage of nurses because of mass migration,” said Michael Nnachi, president of NANNM. “There was a need to invest in the nursing workforce and consider a special salary package for nurses to address brain drain.”
Vesta Healthcare, a clinician-led firm of International Healthcare Management Consultants, puts the total number of nurses in Nigeria at 125,000. This, it said is about 600% below the 800,000 recommended by the firm.
“Unavailability of nurses to cater for the population has put a strain on the quality of care that is administered at the different healthcare facilities in the country,” it said.
Recent research by the World Bank attributed shortages of nurses to rising errors, high morbidity, and mortality rates in the health sector. According to the bank, globally, Nigeria has the highest under-five mortality rate with 117 deaths per 1,000 live births.