Why Nigeria’s hospitals are losing their staff

Acurrent buzzword in Nigeria is , a Yoruba verb meaning to run, flee or escape. So many Nigerians, most notably doctors and nurses, are seeking jobs abroad that politicians are bemoaning the “ syndrome”—and have been debating ways to stem the outward flow. No one yet has an answer.Meanwhile hospitals are losing qualified staff at an alarming rate, as droves of doctors and nurses head for America, Britain, Canada, the Gulf states and elsewhere in search of better pay and working conditions. In the past eight years, by one count, at least 5,600 doctors have left for Britain, leaving only 24,000 registered doctors to cater for a burgeoning population of around 220m. The Association of Resident Doctors fears that 85% of those left behind are planning to emigrate, too.