Japa: Why Nigerian Doctors Keep Boarding Planes

Nigeria has fewer than 25,000 practising doctors. For a population of over 200 million people.The World Health Organization recommends one doctor for every 600 people. Nigeria's ratio is closer to one doctor for every 9,000 - a gap of more than 15x.This is Japa.In this episode of Vital Signs Unfiltered, we investigate the silent emptying of Nigeria's hospitals - the mass migration of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists for the UK, Canada, the US, and the Gulf. We unpack why they're leaving, what it costs the patients left behind, and the painful irony that Nigeria pays to train these professionals only to lose them to richer countries within months of qualifying.Drawing on data from the Nigerian Medical Association, the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the World Health Organization, this episode asks the question Nigerian healthcare can no longer avoid: when a country trains its best minds and watches them leave, what future is it actually building?🎙️ Follow Vital Signs Podcast on Spotify for the rest of the Unfiltered series.⭐ If this episode moved you, please rate the show — it helps more Nigerians find it.Sources: Nigerian Medical Association, UK Nursing and Midwifery Council, WHO Health Workforce Data, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.