More than 10,000 Nigerian healthcare professionals are currently employed across NHS, underlining the UK’s role as a major beneficiary of international medical migration at the expense of Nigeria's domestic health system.
According to data compiled by staff campaign organisation NHS Million, 10,494 Nigerian nationals are listed as NHS employees. This places Nigeria sixth overall - trailing only the UK (over 1.1 million), India (32,117), the Philippines (25,423), Ireland, and Poland-and positions it as the single largest African nationality represented in the British healthcare workforce.
Other African nations with significant representations include Zimbabwe (4,780), Ghana (3,395), Egypt (2,895), and South Africa (1,829).
The UK continues to serve as a top destination for overseas medical personnel. Data from the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) shows that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026, pushing the overall tally of Nigerian-trained doctors licensed to practise in the UK to 15,896.
However, the continued outflow has deepened the workforce shortage across Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report revealed that more than 20,000 health professionals emigrated abroad within a 12-month span. This exodus included:
- 7,487 nurses and midwives
- 6,861 medical laboratory professionals
- 3,919 doctors
- 702 pharmacists
- 658 physiotherapists
- 274 dentists
While Nigeria has 95,456 registered doctors, only 60,551 currently hold active practising licences, with regional shortages particularly acute across some states.
Data from the UK’s General Medical Council showed that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026, according to a Punch report.
The data also showed that 15,896 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise in the UK.
The 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report identified external migration as one of the factors affecting the availability of health professionals in Nigeria.
Nigeria approved a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration in August 2024, aimed at managing health worker migration, improving retention and strengthening workforce planning.
