The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako has assured Nigerians that the mass emigration of healthcare professionals, referred to as the ‘japa syndrome’, will soon come to an end.
Salako spoke during a working visit to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The minister attributed the impending end of the trend to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s focused efforts to strengthen the health sector through strategic reforms and policies.
He expressed confidence that these efforts would address the challenges facing the sector.
Salako urged public hospital workers not to feel compelled to leave the country, given the ongoing improvements in remuneration and working conditions. ‘Within Nigeria’s economic realities, health workers are among the best-paid professionals.
‘However, beyond salary increases, we must cultivate a stronger sense of commitment and passion for the profession’, he said.
The minister added that raising doctors’ salaries alone would not solve the sector’s challenges.
‘If we increase doctors’ pay, other professionals, such as teachers, will also demand pay raises’, Salako said.
The minister also urged health workers to embrace patriotism and consider the long-term benefits of staying in their country.
‘East or West, home is best. No matter where you go outside your country, you remain a second-class citizen’, he said.
Acknowledging the significant power supply challenges many tertiary hospitals face across the country, Salako lauded UBTH for its innovative approach to managing the issue.
The minister pledged increased government funding for public hospitals, emphasising that healthcare remained a national priority.
‘Health is the essence of living, and adequate funding is key to addressing the sector’s challenges’, he said.
Analysing the emigration challenge in the health sector, Salako described japa as an economic issue that requires a comprehensive approach beyond the sector.
He noted that with the policies in place, particularly those focused on capacity building, the tide would soon turn.
UBTH’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Darlington Obaseki, expressed concern about the severe shortage of healthcare workers at the hospital, despite its reputation for affordable, high-quality care.
