Medical Brain Drain Scourge In Africa: Focusing on Nigeria
BASSEY ENO OFFIONG, Ghassan Salibi, Nikolaos Tzenios
Abstract
This presentation discusses the ongoing brain drain crisis in the healthcare sector, focusing on Nigeria. Qualified clinical professionals like doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are well known to emigrate from developing countries to developed nations to practice. However, there is an alarming increase in this trend. The degree of brain drain among the health workforce has assumed frightening dimensions in Africa and, more notably, Nigeria. As a result of the brain drain issue, it is extremely difficult to meet the demand for labor in the healthcare industry and the greater economy of the sending countries. The topic of brain drain in Nigeria is not unique to one industry; however, the healthcare sector has experienced a significant loss. This presentation provides a background on the problem, its effects, and its consequences. It also gives specific recommendations to help minimize the flow.