Health, they say is wealth. This probably explains why individuals and various governments place high premium on health of the people. Unfortunately, in Nigeria the case appears to be different.
For a very long time, people and the authorities had cried out about the dwindling fortunes in the health Sector especially “Japa “in Nigeria hospitals.
“Japa “is a Nigerian slang term that refers to the act of abandoning, fleeing from a situation, often times due to frustration, dissatisfaction or depression. “Japa ” refers to the mass exodus of Nigeria medical Doctors and Nurses to a more developed countries in search of better opportunities. And this brain drain has severe consequences on the county’s health care delivery system.
Japa: –a Yoruba term meaning to run, flee or escape has for sometime now has become synonymous with the mass exodus of Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad.
This phenomenon has its roots in the 1970s and 1980s when this nation’s economic and political landscape began to deteriorate, prompting young people to flee the country in search of greener pastures.
The term “Japa ” gained popularity in recent years particularly among young Nigerians as a way to describe their desire to escape the county’s challenges. The 2018 Naira Marley song “Japa “further commented the terms placed in Nigerian culture.
Today, “Japa “has become a cultural phenomenon with many Nigerians sharing their experiences and plans to leave the country on social media platforms like Tiktok and Twitter. The trend is driven including economic hardship, poor infrastructure and lack of opportunities for young people.
While, “Japa ” is often associated with the brain drain in Nigeria’s health care sector, with many doctors and nurses and other health personnels leaving the country to work abroad, it is also a symptom of deeper systemic issues.
Experts and social critics say that the reasons behind the exodus of health personals are multifaceted. According to them, these set of professionals are frustrated with the poor working conditions, inadequate facilities and low remunerations in Nigeria hospitals. In contrast, they say developed countries offer better salaries, improved working conditions and opportunities for professional growth.
To think end, the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of University Teaching Hospitals and Federal Teaching Hospitals (FMCs) met recently and raised an alarm that tertiary health hospitals are facing threats of becoming extinct as doctors, nurses and other health skilled workers are leaving in droves due to poor remunerations.
They lamented that despite the Federal Governments investments in health infrastructure, the trend has continued unabated and affecting healthcare delivery in the country.
The report says that the Chief Medical Director ,Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Professor Wasilu Adeyemo and the Chief Medical Director University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof Tasse Abiodu and others raised the alarm at the 2025 budget defense session before the House Of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions .The Lagos University Teaching Hospital CMD, Prof Adayemo informed the Committee that the rate at which medical workers are leaving the country is alarming hence the need to act fast to address the situation.
He said “people resign or retire almost every day and no replacement. In the next two or three years, we are going to have all our hospitals empty. We need to do something about remuneration of all the healthcare workers ,otherwise government is putting a lot of money in infrastructure and we are going to have empty hospitals .He said, a situation where Consultants are earning less than one dollar $1000 is unheard of.
Lifestyle talked to some Nigerians on the issue. One Dr. Peters Ikemuefuna, a retired health worker said that the consequences of “Japa ” are grave. He stated that it leads to shortage of qualified personnel –doctors and nurses in hospitals, adding that the reduced workforce can lead to a decline in the quality of healthcare services resulting in avoidable deaths and poor health outcomes.
He also mentioned that it may lead to economic burden as the loss of skilled medical professionals also has economic implications as the country invests significantly in resources in training the individuals, only to lose them to other countries.
To address the “Japa ” syndrome, the Nigerian government and stakeholders in the healthcare sector must review the working conditions and remunerations of medical personnel , up grade medical facilities and providing opportunities for professional growth and make the medical profession in Nigeria more active and attractive.
Also a nurse, Madam Uche Nnaji, said that if Nigeria is to grow and prosper, that it’s healthcare delivery must be improved upon. She called for the development of the infrastructure and manpower and that it is meaningless developing it’s infrastructure without the manpower.
The government should develop the people as it goes further to develop it’s infrastructure. That she said is the only way to go and move further to achieving good healthcare delivery system.
She said that the Federal Government has faced significant challenges in checking the drift of health personnel to other countries for some reasons which she listed as inadequate working conditions, making it difficult for healthcare professionals to provide quality healthcare, inadequate staffing, unfavorable work environment, low remuneration, poor salaries, limited benefits, limited career advancement opportunities, poor governance and corruption.
She also listed some policy recommendations such as the — National Health Policy, Medical Brain Drain mitigation strategy and Healthcare Workforce Development plan.
By implementing these measures, it is hoped that the Federal Government can reduce the exodus of medical professionals, improve the healthcare system and provide better health outcome for Nigerians.
