# Nigeria health workers shortage

> Nigeria's health workforce crisis threatens maternal and child deaths.
- Title: Nigeria health workers shortage · Allafrica | Shortify
- Summary: Nigeria's health workforce crisis threatens maternal and child deaths. Nigeria has 993 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 2.9 doctors per 10,000…
- Keywords: nigeria, maternal mortality, child deaths, health workers, midwifery, brain drain, japa, news, world, politics, health, workers
- Source: Allafrica — https://allafrica.com/stories/202610230350.html
- Published: 2026-10-23T11:44:56+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nigeria, maternal mortality, child deaths, health workers, midwifery, who, brain drain, japa, news, world, politics
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Nigeria has 993 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people, risking maternal and child deaths.