Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has advocated for better working conditions and incentives for medical professionals to discourage their migration abroad in search of better opportunities, a trend commonly referred to as “Japa.”
Obasanjo made this appeal on Tuesday while commissioning the renovated Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Zamfara State, an initiative led by Governor Dauda Lawal. He emphasized that while building healthcare infrastructure is commendable, retaining skilled medical personnel requires more than physical facilities.
“Especially when many Nigerians who have been trained as medical personnel are japaing – which is going out of the country to look for better conditions. But how do you hold them here without giving them a bit of incentive? You have to,” Obasanjo said.
He stressed that for hospitals to function effectively, there must be a combination of quality infrastructure, up-to-date equipment, and well-supported personnel.
“We need all the personnel that we can have because our hospitals have to deliver. You need the right environment… but you need the right equipment and then you need the personnel,” he added, commending the Zamfara State governor for taking steps in the right direction.
Echoing Obasanjo’s sentiments, outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, had also expressed concern over the brain drain. He described the migration of Africa’s skilled youth as a loss for the continent and emphasized the need for investment in homegrown talent and ideas.
“We have over 465 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35,” Adesina said. “I do not believe that the future of our young people lies in Europe; it doesn’t lie in America, it doesn’t lie in Canada, Japan or China. It should lie in Africa growing well, growing robustly and able to create quality jobs for our young people.”
What you should know
Obasanjo and Adesina have raised alarms about Nigeria’s growing brain drain, particularly in the healthcare sector. Both leaders agree that to curb the Japa trend, governments must prioritize proper remuneration, quality infrastructure, and local opportunities that make staying in Nigeria a viable choice for young professionals.
