Why Nigerian medical students now plan to japa before graduation — NMA

Image alt text:Nigerian medical students during clinical training as NMA warns of growing medical brain drain

Image caption:Nigerian medical students are increasingly considering overseas training and careers amid concerns over working conditions and opportunities at home.

• The NMA says some Nigerian medical students now prepare for foreign qualifying exams during their training so they can leave soon after registration.

• A 2025 study found 72.9% of surveyed Nigerian medical and nursing students intended to practise abroad, citing training, equipment and career opportunities.

• The NMA is asking the Federal Government to improve pay, safety, working conditions and other incentives to retain doctors.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says Nigeria’s medical brain drain is reaching a worrying stage, with some medical students now preparing to leave the country even before completing their training. 

NMA President, Professor Afekhide Ernest Omoti, said some students are preparing for foreign qualifying examinations while still in medical school or during their internship so they can relocate soon after completing their professional registration in Nigeria.

Omoti disclosed this in Abuja following the NMA’s National Executive Council meeting, which was held from August 24 to 28, 2026.

He said the trend reflected growing concern among young Nigerians about their prospects in the country’s healthcare system.

“The Nigerian medical student, even before he graduates, is already planning how to leave the country because he’s seen what is ahead of him,” Omoti said.

The NMA president said doctors were not necessarily leaving because they wanted to abandon Nigeria, but because many could no longer see conditions that would make staying attractive.

“Every doctor wants to remain in this country; I can assure you, hardly any doctor ordinarily would want to leave. We want to stay. But for many people, they just cannot do it anymore,” he said.

The NMA’s warning comes as research shows that the desire to pursue medical careers abroad is already widespread among Nigerian students.

A study published in BMC Medical Education in 2025 surveyed 2,152 undergraduate medical and nursing students from six Nigerian universities selected to represent the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The study found that 72.9% of the students who planned to specialise said they intended to pursue their specialist training abroad. It also found that 97.7% of those planning specialist training abroad intended to begin within five years of graduation. 

Among those who preferred training abroad, 47.5% said they had made that decision before entering their programmes, while 26.1% decided during their preclinical years and 16.3% during clinical training. 

The most popular destinations were the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, accounting for 28.5%, 24.6% and 23.1%, respectively, among respondents choosing overseas specialist training. 

Among students intending to specialise abroad, 32.7% said they had no intention of returning to Nigeria, according to the researchers. 

The researchers warned that Nigeria risks worsening its healthcare workforce shortage unless it addresses the conditions encouraging students and professionals to seek opportunities elsewhere.

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Among students who preferred to specialise abroad, 75.2% cited better training and expertise, while 61.1% pointed to access to better equipment.

Other major reasons included better career opportunities at 56.7%, better quality of life at 53.2% and improved remuneration at 42.6%.

The findings suggest that the problem is broader than salary alone. Students are also considering the quality of specialist training available to them, access to modern medical equipment, professional development and the conditions in which they expect to work after graduation.

All of these align with the NMA’s latest position.

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The association said the government needs to improve the conditions that influence doctors’ decisions to stay or leave.

Following its August 2026 NEC meeting, the NMA called for the conclusion and implementation of the outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreement with health workers.

It also called for the universal application of doctors’ salaries and income across federal, state, university and local government institutions, as well as tax relief for healthcare professionals. 

The association further demanded the implementation of a 65-year retirement age for clinical health workers, arguing that retaining experienced professionals would provide some relief at a time when Nigeria is dealing with shortages caused by migration and other factors. 

On security, the NMA called for stronger measures to protect doctors and healthcare facilities and urged the government to intensify efforts against kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other forms of insecurity.

The association said these measures were necessary to make remaining in Nigeria a realistic option for healthcare professionals.

Omoti said the NMA was not asking the government to match the salaries doctors receive in richer countries.

Instead, he said, the aim was to establish a minimum retention package that would make doctors feel they had a viable future in Nigeria.

“The government spends so much money to train an average doctor, and these doctors leave for free. So who loses? The government loses. The Nigerian people lose,” Omoti finished.