Nigerian doctors based abroad have stated their conditions for considering a return to the country’s health sector.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a policy to address the continued exodus of Nigerian healthcare workers abroad last Monday.
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The policy provides some incentives to retain Nigerian doctors at home and encourage those outside the country to return.
Among the proposed packages is the provision of soft loans/grants to returned migrant health workers interested in establishing private health facilities.
Some doctors who spoke with Sunday PUNCH said doctors’ demands centered on security, a good salary, provision of infrastructure, and a better economy.
They said it would be impossible for them to return to Nigeria without these demands in place.
Fikayo Benson, a United States-based doctor, told the paper that, “I believe that Nigerian doctors practising abroad would be open to returning home if the government can guarantee safety, a competitive welfare package, and necessary amenities and infrastructure.
“The challenges we faced at home were primarily related to security, welfare, and healthcare facilities. If the Nigerian government can provide conditions that are comparable to what we have abroad, I would be among the first to return. It is important to recognise that every country has its own set of challenges, and I won’t speak negatively about Nigeria.”
For Adefemi Adeoye, based in the United Kingdom, a safe and conducive working environment would encourage some of his colleagues to return to their fatherland.
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A Nigerian couple in Canada who are equally doctors also said they had no plan to return to Nigeria anytime soon.
They said Nigeria needed more than just the new national policy on health workforce migration to revive its deteriorating health sector.
