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The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) estimates that no less than 75,000 Nigerian nurses and midwives have fled the nation in the previous five years as a result of the widespread 'Japa' syndrome.
The Association, which made this announcement at the 2023 International Nurses Week on Friday in Abuja, claimed that the low pay and unsanitary working conditions in the industry were to blame for the country's loss of nurses and midwives.
The association claimed that the increased number of kidnappings of its members for ransom and violence against them at work, while they carried out their legal obligations, were factors in their members' exodus.
If the trend is not reversed, more nurses will leave the nation, according to Comrade Micheal Nnachi, president of the nurses association, who spoke on the subject: "Our Nurses, Our Future."
"Over 75,000 nurses and midwives left Nigeria in the last five years as a result of low pay and inhumane working conditions.
"Shortage of Nurses and Midwives, especially in certain areas of specialization and geographical regions, increased rates of attrition, and a chronic shortage of nursing personnel in the country increased workloads on Nurses without Compensation, exposing them to more Health Hazards and Compromising the Quality of Healthcare Delivery," he said.
Comrade Israel Blessing, vice president of NANNM, also spoke in the same vein, she said:
"According to the 2021 State of the World's Midwifery report, Nigeria has a shortfall of midwives of roughly 30,000, or 6 per 10,000 people. About 70,000 midwife postings are required to fill the gap by 2030, but according to current projections, only 40,000 will be produced.
"In Northern Nigeria, where basic needs for maternal and reproductive health care are not satisfied, the scarcity is particularly severe."
