AS NIGERIA continues to lose skilled health professionals to migration, a Health Systems and Human Resources expert has warned that the country’s health-sector brain drain is being driven largely by pay disparities, weak trust, and inadequate attention to worker well-being.
Speaking on the challenge, the Human Resources Assistant Director of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Mrs. Rachel Adegbe, told National Record that organisations must treat human capital as a strategic priority if the trend is to be reversed, noting that while systems and infrastructure can be replicated, people remain the most valuable and irreplaceable asset.
“Nigeria is losing talent because organisations, especially in the health sector, are not paying enough attention to employee well-being,” Mrs. Adegbe said. “You cannot demand performance endlessly without asking how your doctors and nurses are coping.”
She identified poor remuneration as a major trigger for migration, noting that many institutions fail to align HR strategies with economic realities, resulting in weak workforce planning and delayed salary reviews. “Some organisations overestimate their growth stage and ignore data-driven planning,” she explained. “The result is an inability to adjust salaries in line with rising living costs.”
Beyond pay, Mrs. Adegbe said perceptions of unfair treatment and lack of integrity in leadership accelerate the exit of skilled professionals. “Trust is built when leadership says what it will do and then does it,” she noted, adding that employees are more likely to stay where fairness and transparency are consistent.
She also cautioned that workplace cultures that ignore work–life balance contribute to burnout and migration, as health workers seek healthier systems elsewhere.
To stem the brain drain, Mrs. Adegbe urged policymakers and sector leaders to prioritise regular salary benchmarking, staff well-being, and transparent leadership. “If we get fair pay, genuine care for well-being, and trustworthy leadership right, we can retain our health workforce and keep our talent contributing to Nigeria’s development,” she concluded.
