The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) have described the recent approval of a retirement age increase for doctors and healthcare workers as a crucial step toward mitigating brain drain in the country’s health sector.
President Bola Tinubu announced on Wednesday a policy to raise the retirement age for doctors and other healthcare workers from 60 to 65 years.
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For years, healthcare professionals have advocated this adjustment to address workforce shortages, facilitate knowledge transfer, and ensure quality healthcare delivery.
The demand has also been a focal point in nationwide strikes, often linked to the non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for doctors and health workers.
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Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, NMA President Bala Audu acknowledged the significance of the policy but cautioned that it is not a complete solution to the country’s healthcare challenges.
Mr Audu noted that while the policy alone would “not be enough” to address all challenges in the health sector, it would help significantly in stabilising the system.
He also welcomed the government’s decision to pay outstanding salary arrears, calling it a positive move to help sustain stability in the sector.
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Shortage of healthcare professionals
The National President of MDCAN, Mohammad Mohammad, stated that the association has long advocated for an increase in the retirement age for consultants and other healthcare workers due to the severe shortage of qualified personnel needed to provide quality healthcare in Nigeria.
Mr Mohammad said while the approved increase to 65 years is a step forward, MDCAN had initially pushed for consultants to retire at 70, with other healthcare workers retiring at 65.
“Nigeria currently has only 6,200 consultants, and about a quarter to one-third of them are expected to retire within the next five years, as many are already 55 years or older,” he said.
“If no action is taken, this figure will decline significantly, even without factoring in other exits such as the widespread “Japa syndrome,” voluntary retirements, or deaths.”
He said the retirement age increase is expected to help sustain the healthcare workforce by allowing experienced professionals to remain in service longer.
He said this would enable them to continue providing care, mentoring younger healthcare workers, training new doctors, and contributing to postgraduate medical education before retiring at 65 or 70.
Similarly, Lagos State NMA Chairman Babajide Saheed commended the development, stating that it would help curb brain drain and ensure more doctors remain in service.
Mr Saheed explained that the retirement age increase would encourage older doctors to stay committed to their work with dignity rather than relying on contract employment, which often requires renewal every one or two years.
He also noted that eliminating contract employment would allow for proper retirement planning for doctors and other healthcare workers.
Despite these benefits, Mr Saheed emphasised the urgent need for the government to address the “Japa syndrome” — the mass migration of Nigerian doctors abroad.
He stressed the importance of improved welfare packages, better remuneration, and removing taxes on on-call duty allowances, warning that failure to tackle these issues would continue to weaken the country’s healthcare system.
“The first thing the government should do if it truly wants to improve the health sector is to tackle the issue of Japa syndrome,” he said.
Brain Drain
Nigeria has long struggled with an exodus of healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, to developed countries.
With a doctor-patient ratio over five times worse than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation, the country continues to lose hundreds of medical professionals annually to brain drain.
Between 2015 and 2022, over 5,000 Nigerian medical doctors migrated to the UK alone.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) earlier revealed that the association is left with only a few over 9,000 medical doctors due to the brain drain crisis in the healthcare system.
Additionally, MDCAN estimates that at least 1,300 consultants have left Nigeria in the last five years.
This continued emigration has severely impacted the quality of healthcare services, as fewer skilled professionals are available to cater to the country’s growing population.
Workforce retention, youth employment
Obinna Ogbonna, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Union of Allied Professionals, noted that the mass migration of young and mid-career health professionals is depleting the workforce at an alarming rate.
Mr Ogbonna said that without intervention, both younger and older professionals would continue leaving the system, eventually leading to a collapse of Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
Mr Ogbonna stressed the importance of retaining older professionals who are less likely to migrate, noting that their experience and mentorship are crucial in training the next generation of healthcare workers.
However, he acknowledged concerns about retaining older professionals while younger graduates struggle to find employment, noting that the rate at which young professionals leave far exceeds the number of older ones retiring.
READ ALSO: Tinubu approves 65 years retirement age for doctors, healthcare workers
“Without stabilising the workforce, there will be no experienced professionals left to train new entrants into the field.”
Mr Ogbonna called for improvements in welfare, working conditions, and remuneration to make staying in Nigeria more attractive for healthcare professionals.
“Without competitive salaries and better working environments, many will continue seeking opportunities abroad despite the challenges of relocating,” he said.
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