Daud Olatunji
The Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State chapter, has called on the Federal Government to pay Nigerian doctors internationally competitive salaries and improve their working conditions to stem the alarming migration of medical professionals from the country.
The association warned that excessive workloads, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, insecurity, occupational stress and poor welfare were exposing doctors to burnout, cardiovascular diseases and premature deaths.
The NMA state Chairman, Dr Sunday Enimola, made the position known in an address to Nigerian doctors ahead of activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.”
He spoke at a press conference in Abeokuta on Monday to herald the annual event, which highlights the need to protect physicians’ welfare, modernise medical education and harness digital technologies to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Enimola stressed that Nigeria could not secure the future of its healthcare system without addressing the conditions forcing medical professionals to seek better opportunities abroad.
He urged the government and hospital administrators to prioritise doctors’ welfare, safety and professional development, warning that the continued loss of experienced medical personnel could undermine the country’s capacity to provide quality healthcare.
According to him, the future of medicine in Nigeria requires deliberate government action, strategic investment, effective advocacy and collective responsibility.
“The future of medicine will not be secured by wishing for better days. It will be secured by deliberate action, courageous advocacy, strategic investment and collective responsibility,” he said.
Enimola noted that although Nigerian doctors had demonstrated resilience and competence despite challenging circumstances, the profession was facing mounting pressures, including declining welfare, inadequate infrastructure, increasing workloads and the migration of medical personnel.
...Doctors’ welfare under threat
The NMA chairman expressed concern about the health and wellbeing of physicians, warning against a professional culture that glorified exhaustion and discouraged doctors from seeking medical attention or psychological support.
He said the belief that a committed doctor must work relentlessly, often at the expense of personal health, was dangerous and unsustainable.
“For generations, Nigerian doctors have been trained to put the patient first. We have been taught to work through the night, to remain at the bedside when others have gone home, to respond to emergencies regardless of the hour, and to place the needs of our patients above our own.
“These are noble virtues. But there is a dangerous misconception that being a good doctor means being an exhausted doctor. It does not,” he stated.
Enimola called for a workplace culture that would allow doctors to take leave, obtain adequate rest and seek professional assistance without fear of being stigmatised.
He also advocated regular medical examinations, healthier lifestyles and confidential access to psychological support for physicians.
The NMA chairman maintained that doctors’ wellbeing should be treated as an essential component of patient safety and healthcare system performance rather than a luxury.
“A health system that saves everyone except its doctors is not sustainable,” he said.
He attributed the risks confronting doctors to excessive working hours, occupational stress, inadequate staffing, unsafe workplaces, poor remuneration, delayed entitlements and violence against healthcare workers.
