NMA Lagos Criticizes Federal Government Over Declining Health Sector on Democracy Day

… Laments worsening brain drain, poor funding, weak disease control
By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) issued a scathing critique of the Federal Government on Thursday, accusing it of neglecting Nigerians through inadequate healthcare funding, a growing brain drain, ineffective disease‑control systems, and misplaced sectoral priorities.

In a Democracy Day press statement released to Vanguard, NMA Chairman Dr Saheed Babajide said the health sector has not improved since previous years, warning that Nigeria’s healthcare system is sliding deeper into crisis.

Babajide accused the Federal Government of failing to address the persistent migration of doctors and other health workers abroad, a phenomenon known locally as the “Japa syndrome.” “There is no sign or evidence that the Federal Government is willing or ready to resolve the issue of Japa syndrome where doctors are leaving the country in droves,” he said.

He further criticised Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate for prioritising international partnerships and research over the fundamental issues that affect healthcare delivery. “Government is more interested in global and international partners’ engagements in terms of research, leaving the basic health sector issues of medical services, training, human resources, health financing and good governance unattended,” Babajide stated. He added that curbing the exodus of health professionals would require better remuneration, improved welfare packages, modern equipment, quality working conditions, overseas training opportunities and stronger research support.

Regarding financing, Babajide described the Federal Government’s budgetary allocation to health as “grossly inadequate,” noting the failure to meet the 15 percent benchmark set in the Abuja Declaration. “Government pays more attention to roads, bridges and office buildings than to the health and education sectors,” he said, adding that even the limited funds earmarked for health institutions are not being used effectively.

Babajide also criticised what he called “uncoordinated infrastructural development” across federal health institutions, stating that many projects are abandoned or executed without the necessary manpower and equipment. “Majority of these infrastructures are built without the needed human resources, equipment, tools and materials. Government needs to prioritise what is truly needed,” he added.

The association warned that the continued establishment of new medical and health institutions without adequate manpower and welfare support would worsen the brain‑drain crisis and increase unemployment among fresh graduates seeking internship and housemanship placements. “This situation has brought the health sector back to what happened in the late 1990s and early 2000s when newly graduated medical doctors waited for more than one year before securing housemanship placements,” Babajide lamented.

The NMA also expressed concern over Nigeria’s preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, noting that the country still lacks a strong and efficient disease‑control structure. According to Babajide, every state should have a dedicated infectious disease hospital linked to a central national control centre in Abuja. “This should already be in place before the current Ebola virus concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.

Doctors further decried the absence of specialised hospitals across Nigeria’s six geo‑political zones, arguing that the lack of advanced medical centres fuels medical tourism. Babajide urged the Federal Government to establish specialist centres for paediatrics, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ENT, plastic surgery and maxillofacial care in the regions, Abuja and Lagos.

He concluded that the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Health have performed poorly in healthcare delivery due to a lack of willingness and priority on health sector development in Nigeria.

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