The newly installed chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association’s Federal Capital Territory chapter, George Ebong, didn’t mince words on Saturday. Standing before colleagues in Abuja during his inaugural address, he laid out a direct challenge to the government: fix doctors’ welfare or keep watching them leave.
Ebong zeroed in on the so-called japa syndrome, the mass migration of Nigerian physicians seeking better opportunities abroad. He argued that the root cause isn’t a lack of patriotism but a simple search for greener pastures—and that the cure lies in making those pastures flourish at home.
“We must build a united front. We must speak with one voice on the dignity and welfare of Nigerian doctors,” Ebong stated. He promised a no-holds-barred approach, vowing to push the government on welfare improvements and to take that fight “from hospital to hospital.” He also drew a firm line on safety: “We won’t tolerate assaults on our members.”
But his vision stretched beyond federal and state facilities. Ebong made a pointed plea for the government to recognize private hospitals as essential allies, not just businesses. He highlighted how these institutions often run residency programs, own equipment that public hospitals lack, and give back to their communities. The catch? They are weighed down by heavy taxes.
“The government needs to do so much to help these private hospitals meet their needs fully,” he said. “They pay lots of taxes. It’s not even helping right now. So, the government should look into them and see how they can help them grow so that ordinary citizens can have affordable access to these hospitals as well.”
His words carry weight given the scale of the problem. DAILY POST reports that 3,919 doctors left Nigeria in 2025 alone—a stark reminder of the urgency.
The event also saw calls for internal cohesion. Prof. Afekhide Omoti, president of the national NMA body, urged the new leadership to be unifiers. “FCT is the centre of NMA in Nigeria. I am happy with the crop of elected officials to run the affairs of FCT NMA for the next two years. Try your best to be a unifier. End all divisions in the Association,” he said.
On the government’s side, Dr. Kamil Shoretire, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Labour, signaled openness, saying the doors are wide open for collaboration with doctors to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
Whether those words translate into action remains to be seen, but Ebong’s message was clear: the time for talk is over, and the time for welfare-first policies is now.
