By Mustapha Salisu
The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Muhammad Usman Suleiman, has expressed concern over the declining number of medical doctors in Nigeria, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to healthcare delivery across the country.
Dr. Suleiman made the remarks tofay during the association’s 2026 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM), tagged “Pyramid City 2026,” held in Kano with the theme: “Caring for the Caregivers: Mental Health and Emotional Resilience in Residency Training.”
According to him, Nigeria had about 25,000 resident doctors 15 years ago, but the number has dropped to approximately 12,000 despite the country’s rapidly growing population, now estimated at between 240 and 250 million people.
He noted that consultant doctors have also witnessed a significant decline, falling from about 14,000–15,000 in previous years to between 6,000 and 7,000 currently.
The NARD president cited studies indicating that Nigeria now has only one doctor for every 10,000 to 13,000 citizens, a situation he said has drastically increased the workload on healthcare professionals.
“Doctors who previously attended to two or four patients daily now see as many as 12 to 15 patients in a day. This translates to excessive workload, burnout and emotional exhaustion,” he said.
Dr. Suleiman attributed the mass migration of doctors to poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, insecurity and challenges related to professional certification recognition.
He disclosed that while Nigeria graduated between 3,500 and 3,600 doctors in 2024, about 4,700 doctors left the country during the same period.
“What this means is that we are losing more doctors than we are producing. The numbers are alarming and urgent steps must be taken to reverse the trend,” he stated.
He called for improved remuneration, enhanced training opportunities and better working conditions to make medical practice in Nigeria more attractive.
The NARD president, however, commended the Kano State Government for initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, including hospital upgrades, expansion of residency training programmes and plans to recruit thousands of healthcare workers.
According to him, reports indicate that the state has renovated over 300 primary healthcare centres and is considering the employment of about 7,000 primary healthcare personnel to reduce pressure on tertiary hospitals.
“We commend Kano State Government for these efforts and encourage it to do even more in supporting healthcare workers and improving healthcare services,” he added.
Earlier, President of the Association of Resident Doctors, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Bello Aminu Bello, welcomed delegates from across the country to Kano, noting that it was the first time in over a decade that the state was hosting the association’s national gathering.
He described the conference theme as timely, stressing that resident doctors are increasingly confronted with long working hours, workforce shortages, burnout and emotional fatigue.
Dr. Bello said the sub-theme, “Workload, Rest and Recovery: Striking the Right Balance in Residency Training,” was designed to address the challenges of balancing service delivery, academic training, personal wellbeing and adequate rest among resident doctors.
He urged participants to take advantage of the conference to engage in meaningful discussions that would improve the welfare and productivity of healthcare professionals.
Speaking on efforts by the Kano State Government to support healthcare workers, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said the administration is committed to creating a conducive working environment for medical personnel.
He listed measures being implemented by the government to include improved hospital security, provision of rest and call rooms for resident doctors, recruitment of additional medical personnel and enhanced remuneration packages.
Dr. Labaran revealed that Kano State currently pays doctors salaries comparable to those of their counterparts at the federal level, describing the development as unprecedented in the state’s history.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining policies that promote the welfare of healthcare workers and improve healthcare delivery across the state.
The 2026 NARD Ordinary General Meeting, which which was officially opened ceremonially today, attracted resident doctors, consultants, policymakers and healthcare stakeholders from across Nigeria.
