Nigeria's health workforce crisis

Nigeria lacks enough skilled health workers to turn maternal and child health policies into care despite having policies and commitments.

Critical workforce deficits

Nigeria contends with critical workforce deficits in midwives, nurses and obstetricians to address maternal and child health.

WHO data on Africa

Africa represents 16% of the global population, 25% of the global burden of disease, but only has 4% of the global health workforce.

“Africa represents 16% of the global population, 25% of the global burden of disease, but it only has 4% of the global workforce.”

Nigeria's maternal mortality

Nigeria has one of the world's highest maternal mortality ratios at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births, accounting for 28.5% of all global maternal deaths.

Nigeria's doctor shortage

Nigeria has just 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people, about one doctor per 3,474 people, far below the 4.45 per 1,000 needed for universal health coverage.

Health labour market failure

Training more health workers is not enough as almost a million trained workers are unemployed or underemployed while facilities remain understaffed.

Japa brain drain

Nigeria is the second-largest source of doctors and largest source of nurses among countries on WHO's health workforce safeguards list.

Japa causes

At home, workers face heavy workloads, weak pay and few prospects; abroad, high-income countries recruit from a position of need.

Midwifery solution

Midwifery is among the most cost-effective ways to prevent maternal and newborn deaths but remains chronically underfunded.

Midwife-led care

Implementing midwife-led care requires money to follow the model of care, midwives to have workforce and authority, and government accountability for outcomes.

“Implementing midwife-led care requires that money follow the model of care, that midwives have the workforce and authority to deliver it, and that governments be held accountable for outcomes.”

Pathway forward

Protecting workforce funding, paying PHC teams regularly, and clear career pathways should go alongside publishing routine workforce data and maternal and child outcomes.