Lagos faces severe shortage of medical personnel, only 8000 doctors in 30,000 requirement, Says NMA

Lagos State is grappling with a critical shortfall of medical professionals, with only 8200 doctors available in both private and public health facilities, far below the 30,000 needed to serve over 20 million residents. 

Dr. Babajide Saheed, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Lagos, lamented the situation, noting that it reflects a broader crisis in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, highlighted the dire situation on Tuesday during the handover of key medical infrastructure to contractors for conversion into modern academic facilities. 

He stated that the shortage extends beyond doctors to nurses, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory scientists, and other allied health professionals.

Abayomi attributed the crisis to the continuous migration of medical professionals, commonly referred to as the “Japa syndrome.” 

He explained, “The expansion is part of a broader two-pronged strategy approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to mitigate the crisis. 
“The first approach is to produce more healthcare professionals by increasing student intake, which necessitates a substantial expansion of tertiary education infrastructure.” 

The commissioner further noted that the government has approved a phased expansion of infrastructure to accommodate more students in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health sciences. 
“Our target is to scale up annual student admissions from 200 to 2,500 over the next five years,” he stated.

Speaking to PUNCH, Saheed expressed concern over the worsening medical personnel shortage in Lagos. 

He confirmed that only about 8200 doctors were registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) as of 2024, reinforcing the gravity of the shortfall.

“Nobody can tell you that this is the exact number of doctors in Lagos because the number is increasing and decreasing. Under the MDCN 2024, the number of doctors in the state is about 8200, which means that this is about over 8000. When we say over 8000, this is general doctors, and not just doctors working with the state government, we are talking of doctors registered with the MDCN at that time. This consists of doctors working in state, federal and private facilities,” Saheed explained.

The NMA chairman blamed the persistent migration of doctors abroad for the worsening crisis, as many seek better opportunities outside Nigeria. 

He criticised the government’s handling of the healthcare sector, expressing frustration over policies that fail to prioritise medical infrastructure.

Saheed particularly questioned the government’s decision to convert a renal and cardiac centre into office spaces, stressing that such facilities should be upgraded to reduce medical tourism and provide specialised healthcare services for residents.