The House of Representatives has passed the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, for second reading. The bill would make it compulsory for graduates in medical and dental fields to render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted a full licence. Sponsor Ganiyu Johnson (APC/Lagos) said the measure aims to curb the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country. The legislation is titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Mandate Any Nigeria‑Trained Medical or Dental Practitioner to Practice in Nigeria for a Minimum of Five Years Before Granted a Full License by the Council in Order to Make Quality Health Services Available to Nigeria; and for Related Matters.”
Johnson highlighted that, especially after the peak of the COVID‑19 pandemic, Nigeria has witnessed a large migration of its professionals to developed countries—a phenomenon now known locally as “japa.” He argued that the amendment is “in order to make quality health services available to Nigerians considering the growing trend of the Nigeria population and the current emigration rate of the Nigerian‑trained medical and dental practitioners abroad.” He noted that Nigeria currently has only 24,000 licensed medical doctors, less than 10 % of the number needed to meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation. In some southern states, one doctor serves 30,000 patients, while in the North the ratio is one doctor to 45,000 patients.
The lawmaker compared tuition costs abroad with those in Nigeria. In the United Kingdom, medical tuition ranges from £35,750 to £66,500 per year for a four‑year program. In the United States, the National Center for Education Statistics reports average medical school costs between $82,000 and $104,000, excluding living expenses. In Canada, tuition varies from CAD 52,000 to CAD 169,000. By contrast, public institutions in Nigeria charge between N40,000 and N150,000, indicating that medical and dental education in Nigeria is heavily subsidised. Despite this subsidy, Johnson said Nigeria continues to lose trained doctors and dentists to foreign countries whose tuition fees most Nigerians cannot afford. The preferred destinations for migrating Nigerian medical staff are Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Citing various reports, he noted that the number of Nigerian‑trained doctors who left for the UK is the third highest in the world and the highest in Africa.
The bill has faced strong opposition. Dr Emeka Orji, President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), described it as “anti‑people” and called for its withdrawal. Orji argued that the legislation targets the symptoms of brain drain rather than its root causes, adding, “Some people want to cause trouble for this government before they leave. NARD is averse to such anti‑people bill and it is unfortunate that an honourable member will be thinking about that. That is selfishness.” He questioned why similar bills do not restrict public officials from seeking medical services abroad at taxpayers’ expense and warned that the bill is already causing agitation nationwide. Orji urged the Speaker of the House to withdraw the bill, stating that no one should be allowed to create a crisis for a regime that is nearing the end of its term.
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