Photo Credit: The Punch
2025-12-25 09:25:00
Figures cited by The Punch show 16,156 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been licensed to practise in the UK between 2017 and September 30, 2025, underlining the sustained health-worker outflow often described as “japa.” The report frames the movement as both opportunity-driven migration and a stress point for Nigeria’s health system.
Beyond the headline number, the broader UK-side data shows shifting recruitment dynamics, including a slowdown in international joiners compared to prior periods—suggesting immigration rules, labour-market conditions, and social climate are affecting inflows.
For Nigeria, the implications are double-edged: remittances and global exposure on one hand, but deepening staffing gaps and training-cost leakage on the other—especially for critical-care and specialist nursing areas.
For validation, the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) reported that “the second and third largest sources of international recruitment are now Nigeria and Ghana,” while The Guardian (UK) cited NMC workforce data noting the number of overseas joiners “is collapsing,” as international inflows slowed in 2025.
Echotitbits take: Nigeria needs a serious retention-and-return strategy—bonding alone won’t work if working conditions remain weak. Watch for policies around pay, safe staffing ratios, housing/transport support, and specialist training pathways that make staying competitive.
Source: The Punch — December 25, 2025 (https://punchng.com/japa-nigerian-nurses-practising-in-uk-hit-over-16000/)
The Punch 2025-12-25
