The United Kingdom has licensed a total of 3,173 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives for practice within the past year, as reported by NewsNow.
This information is based on the most recent report concerning the number of nursing and midwifery professionals listed on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, obtained exclusively from the council.
Additionally, the report indicates that currently, there are 13,656 nurses and midwives who received their education in Nigeria working in the UK.
According to the NMC data, as of March 31, 2024, the total number of nursing and midwifery professionals on their register was 826,418.
The report states, “Of this total, 13,656 were educated in Nigeria. Within the 12 months leading up to March 31, 2024, 3,173 individuals who received their education in Nigeria were registered for the first time.”
The NMC functions as the regulatory body for nursing and midwifery in the UK and manages a register of all eligible nurses, midwives, specialist community public health nurses, and nursing associates who can practice in the UK.
As per the report, Nigeria stands out as one of the leading non-UK countries of education as of March 2024, with a 28.3% increase in the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives practicing in the UK over the span of a year.
Among other prominent non-UK countries of education as of March 2024, compared to the previous year, are India (62,413), the Philippines (49,092), Romania (7,378), and Ghana (5,536).
In 2023, the World Health Organization highlighted Nigeria and 54 other countries as facing substantial health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.
The WHO pointed out that due to the effects of COVID-19 and widespread disruptions to health services, health workers in these countries continued to seek higher-paying opportunities in wealthier nations.
Among the 55 countries identified by WHO, 37 are in Africa, eight in the Western Pacific region, six in the Eastern Mediterranean region, three in Southeast Asia, and one in the Americas.
Subsequently, on March 23, the UK government placed Nigeria and 53 other countries on the red list, advising against active recruitment of health and social care workers from these nations.
Nevertheless, the NMC report reveals that the number of new joiners across the UK continued to rise, with almost 60,000 new nursing and midwifery professionals registering this year alone.
The report mentions that this year’s figures were almost evenly split between joiners educated in the UK (30,363) and those educated internationally (29,628).
It further states, “The year-on-year growth, particularly among international joiners, was more than 18% higher compared to the previous year. A significant portion (14,615) of this year’s new joiners received their education in India.”
In 2023, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives reported that over 75,000 nurses and midwives left the country in search of better opportunities within a five-year period.
The significant exodus of nurses has exacerbated the existing shortage of healthcare workers, posing considerable challenges to healthcare delivery, which in turn results in limited access to care for many individuals.