The president of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Haruna Mamman, has warned that the growing migration of Nigerian nurses abroad is deepening the country’s healthcare workforce crisis.
Speaking during the 2026 International Nurses Day celebration in Abuja, Mamman said more than 57,000 Nigerian nurses had left the country in the past five years in search of better opportunities overseas.
According to him, about 16,000 Nigerian nurses had migrated to the United Kingdom alone as of December 2025.
Mamman attributed the trend to poor pay, difficult working conditions, insecurity, limited career progression and lack of job opportunities.
He said many nurses would prefer to remain in Nigeria but are being forced to leave by worsening economic and professional conditions.
Nigeria has faced increasing shortages of healthcare workers in recent years as doctors, nurses and other medical professionals relocate to countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Saudi Arabia for improved welfare and safer working environments.
The trend has placed additional pressure on the country’s overstretched health system, especially in rural and underserved communities.
