Africa health worker brain drain worsens as experts call for competency-based training and better retention strategies at Lagos conference

Leading stakeholders in medical education across Africa have called for urgent reforms to address the continent’s escalating health workforce crisis, warning that the growing Africa health worker brain drain threatens the stability of healthcare systems.

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The call was made at the conference of the Association of Medical Schools in Africa, held in partnership with the World Health Organisation (Africa Region) in Lagos, where experts advocated for more responsive and competency-driven training models.

Participants stressed that aligning medical education with real-world healthcare needs would strengthen workforce capacity and improve retention.

The gathering comes amid projections by the World Health Organisation that Africa could face a deficit of 6.1 million health workers by 2030.

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the Federal Government is expanding medical training capacity to counter the migration of professionals, often referred to locally as the “japa” phenomenon.

Represented by his Special Assistant, Dr David Atuwo, the minister noted that Africa bears a disproportionate share of the globalL disease burden with a limited workforce.

He outlined ongoing interventions, including investments through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the establishment of simulation laboratories, and the rehabilitation of about 18 colleges of medicine nationwide.

“We must align training with service. Training without deployment and education without service will not produce meaningful results,” he said, while also calling for improved working conditions to retain professionals.

President of the Association of Medical Schools in Africa, Temidayo Ogundiran, described the situation as critical, noting that Africa carries nearly 24 per cent of the global disease burden but has only about three per cent of the world’s health workforce.

“This reality demands urgent and decisive action. We must move beyond traditional paradigms and embrace a bold agenda focused on planning, training, and retaining our health workforce,” he said.

In a nuanced perspective, Olufemi Fasanmade, co-chairman of the conference’s local organising committee, argued that migration could also yield benefits if properly harnessed.

He noted that some professionals who trained abroad eventually return with enhanced expertise, contributing to local capacity.

“It is not entirely a loss. In some cases, we export raw materials and bring back finished products,” he said, adding that Nigeria still retains between 40 and 50 per cent of its trained health workforce.

The conference, co-hosted by the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, and Lagos State University, brought together global participants to explore innovative solutions to workforce shortages, including policy reforms, improved welfare packages, and stronger international collaboration.

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Stakeholders agreed that without sustained investment, policy consistency, and a decisive shift towards practical, competency-based training, Africa risks deepening its healthcare crisis despite its vast human capital potential.