Doctors Are Free to Leave Nigeria--Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige

The Minister of The Federal Republic of Nigeria on Labor and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has spoken about Nigerian Doctors and their hunt to relocate abroad in search of greener pastures. The Minister responded to a question on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, where a reporter asked if the minister was worried about the deliberate recruitment of Nigerian doctors by foreign embassies in Nigeria to the detriment of the nation’s health sector. In response, Ngige who is also a Medical Doctor said:



 “No, I am not worried (about doctors leaving the country). We have surplus. If you have surplus, you export. It happened some years ago here. I was taught chemistry and biology by Indian teachers in my secondary school days. There are surplus in their country and we also have surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. In my area, we have excess. Who said we don’t have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out. When they go abroad, they earn money and send them back home here. Yes, we have foreign exchange earnings from them and not just oil.”



This response came as a shock knowing importance of health and wellness in the nation. A country where the President,his family members and the elites, travel abroad for medical emergencies. There are 72,000 doctors registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria; over half practice abroad.

When asked if he was sure of what he was saying, the minister maintained that it was good for doctors to travel out as they would receive training from abroad and open up centers in Nigeria. He continued:

“Will you call that brain drain? I know a couple of them who practice abroad but set up medical centers back home. They have CAT scan, MRI scan which even the government cannot maintain. So, I don’t see any loss,”