Reports has learned that between March 2021 and March 2022, 7,256 trained nurses in Nigeria relocated to the United Kingdom.
The figure was obtained on Thursday from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom.
According to the report, Nigeria has seen an increase in the number of health workers leaving the country.
According to the data, 2,796 Nigerian nurses moved to the UK between March 2017 and March 2018, with an additional 3,021 arriving between March 2018 and March 2019.
Between March 2019 and March 2020, a total of 3,684 Nigerian nurses migrated to the UK, according to the council.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 4,310 Nigerian nurses registered with the council between March 2020 and March 2021.
However, between March 2021 and March 2022, the council saw the highest rate of registration in the previous five years, with a total of 7,256 Nigerian trained nurses registering.
The council stated, “People who trained in the Philippines and India continue to represent a significant proportion of our permanent register and contribute strongly to our annual growth.
“Between 2021 and 2022, there was a significant increase in the number of people who trained in India, the Philippines and Nigeria joining the permanent register for the first time.”
According to the data so far, Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign trained nurses in the UK, trailing only the Philippines and India.
According to the report, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives has urged the Federal Government to regulate nurse and midwife migration in the country, citing the negative impact on Nigeria’s health sector.
In order to regulate the export of human capital, health experts have continued to advocate for better working conditions for doctors, nurses, and other health workers.
