The Nigerian Medical Students Association has opposed the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to make it compulsory for graduates in medical and dental fields to render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted a full license.
The sponsor of the motion, Ganiyu Johnson (APC/Lagos), said the move was to check the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country.
The legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Mandate Any Nigeria Trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a Minimum of Five Years Before Granted a Full License by the Council in Order to Make Quality Health Services Available to Nigeria; and for Related Matters.’
Nigeria has been going through one of the worst situations of brain drain in its history with many doctors who obtained their degrees in Nigeria leaving the country to seek greener pastures.
Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign doctors working in the United Kingdom after India, and Pakistan.
While the Federal Government claimed that brain drain is not peculiar to Nigeria, the World Health Organisation warned that this could negatively impact the health systems and hinder progress toward achieving universal health coverage and health security.
A 2023 health workforce support and safeguards list report released by the WHO showed that Nigeria and 36 other African countries face the most pressing health workforce challenges related to Universal Health Coverage.
