Nigeria Seeks New Global Compact on Health Workforce Mobility
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Nigeria has advocated a new compact on health workforce mobility, a managed migration agreement with clear terms and targets including structured investment in the training of health workforce in source countries by destination countries,
This is as Nigeria declared its readiness to actualize the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter, reaffirming commitment to achieve the goal through policy, investment, and accountability.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this declaration when delivering an opening remark at the 2nd Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum, holding between 6th & 8th May, 2026 at Marriot Hotel, Àccra, Ghana.
A statement signed by the Assistant Director Information and Public Relations, Mr. Ado Bako, quoted the minister as saying, “that the current model, in which low-income countries invest in training and high-income countries reap the benefits, is neither sustainable nor just”
On the issue of workforce migration, Nigeria advocated a new compact on health workforce mobility, a Managed Migration Agreement with clear terms and KPIs including structured investment in the training of health workforce in source countries like Nigeria by destination countries, urging that the current model, in which low-income countries invest in training and high-income countries reap the benefits, is neither sustainable nor just.
Salako further proposed structured bilateral and multilateral agreements that include compensation for source countries, joint training programmes, managed circular migration pathways that allow health workers to gain experience abroad and return with enhanced skills, and investment in health training infrastructure in countries of origin, and called for an annual report on each country’s graduate-employment ratio, as part of a standardized Africa Health Workforce Scorecard.
The minister who stressed the need for more investment to develop the health workforce base for Africa, also identified financing gap as one of the most critical barriers to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC),
According to the minister, despite the growth of Africa’s health workers density from 11 in 2013 to 27 per 10,000 in 2024, there will still be shortfall of 6.1 million by 2030.
Salako listed some of the efforts by Nigerian government to include; approval of the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration — a landmark policy developed with key pillars around ethical recruitment, bilateral agreements, diaspora engagement, retention incentives, and rural deployment.
He added that the policy sought to address the growing exodus of health workers, and it aligned with the WHO Global Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
He also said that Nigeria has launched the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative targeting about US$900 million in health system investment from 2024 to 2026, aimed at rebuilding primary health care infrastructure, expanding training capacity, and deploying community health workers.
“Nigeria has also completed the National Health Workforce Country Profile and established the National Health Workforce Registry (NHWR), with WHO technical support. A Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) is underway to inform Nigeria’s investment compact under the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter.” Salako continues,” he said.
The Health Minister further said that training quotas have been increased at health training institutions to close workforce gaps, over 70,000 frontline health workers were retrained toward a target of 120,000 under the PHC workforce strengthening initiative, and committed to deploying community health workers nationwide as part of Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage roadmap.
Highlighting more on some issues affecting Health and Health Workforce in Africa, the minister cited financing landscape which is undergoing a profound and structural shift with Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) declined by estimated 70 percent between 2021 and 2025, 27 percent unemployment among skilled professionals despite the shortage, increase in public health emergencies by 41 percent between 2022 and 2024, and shouldering of 25 percent of the World health burden.
To address the 27 percent unemployment among qualified health workers in Africa, Salako said, a 43 percent increase in employment investment is needed, and the 15 percent Abuja declaration target should be met as only three out of the 54 African countries (Rwanda, Botswana and Cabo Verde) have so far reached the target.
