As Nigeria’s healthcare system continues to face a worsening brain drain, hospitals across the country have turned to hiring 564 contract doctors to cover gaps left by mass emigration, according to a report by The PUNCH.
These locum doctors are being used as a short-term solution to sustain hospital services, but healthcare experts warn it’s a dangerous trend. Employed without pensions, job security, or full benefits, many of these doctors operate under precarious conditions.
In 2024, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) described the casualisation of medical professionals as a threat to healthcare quality and the well-being of the workforce. Despite reforms like the One-for-One Replacement Policy and the Health Workforce Migration Policy introduced by the Federal Government, implementation has been sluggish.
Nigeria currently has only 55,000 doctors for a population of over 200 million, while over 16,000 doctors have left the country in the last 5 to 7 years. This puts the country’s doctor-to-population ratio at just 3.9 per 10,000 — far below WHO standards.
Speaking to reporters, NARD President Dr. Tope Osundara said, “The continued use of locum doctors increases the urgency to leave the country. It’s not a sustainable model.” He emphasized that these contract roles expose doctors to discrimination and sudden dismissal, with little accountability.
Osundara called on the government to end the practice and invest in permanent recruitment structures. “This form of employment makes the job unstable and unattractive, and further fuels the ‘Japa’ movement among Nigerian professionals,” he said.
Until systemic reform takes place, Nigeria’s reliance on temporary medical staff could deepen its healthcare crisis and make the country more vulnerable in times of emergency.
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