Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017

Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017

No fewer than 16,156 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and September 30, 2025, according to latest data from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The figure, obtained from the NMC register, underscores the deepening brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, popularly referred to as “japa”, as skilled professionals continue to migrate in search of better pay, working conditions and career opportunities.

In an email response, the NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, confirmed:

“As of 30 September 2025, there were 16,156 nurses on the register who were educated in Nigeria.”

The data shows a steady rise in migration. As of March 31, 2025, the number stood at 15,421, representing a 4.8 per cent increase within six months. Nigeria ranked as the third-highest source of foreign-trained nurses in the UK, behind India and the Philippines, according to the NMC’s March 2025 report.

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Although international recruitment into the UK slowed across major source countries, including Nigeria, India and the Philippines, the report noted that the increase in UK-trained nurses has been too slow to offset the decline, resulting in slower overall growth on the NMC register.

The impact of this migration is being strongly felt at home. The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics report, released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, revealed that 43,221 healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists—left Nigeria between 2023 and 2024.

Specifically, the report showed that over 23,000 Nigerian nurses and midwives migrated abroad in 2024 alone. Their preferred destinations were the United States (8,613), United Kingdom (7,463), Canada (5,603), Saudi Arabia (1,231) and Ireland (989).

Highlighting the scale of the crisis, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:5,000, far below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 1:600, while the nurse-to-population ratio is about 1:2,000, compared to the recommended 1:300.

Salako said the Federal Government is working to address the shortfall through strengthening primary healthcare, expanding the Health Workforce Registry, increasing training quotas, and implementing retention policies aimed at slowing the tide of healthcare migration.

Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017