Tertiary health institutions in Nigeria are facing a critical threat as doctors, nurses, and other skilled health workers continue to leave in large numbers due to poor remuneration, the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of teaching hospitals warned.
During the 2025 budget defense session before the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Professor Wasiu Adeyemo, CMD of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and Professor Jesse Abiodun, CMD of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, expressed grave concerns over the alarming rate of resignations.
Professor Adeyemo highlighted the dire situation, stating:
“Every day, we see resignations. In one or two years, our hospitals may be empty. The government’s significant investments in infrastructure will mean little if we cannot retain our healthcare workers. The primary reason people are leaving is economic—consultants earn less than $1,000 monthly.”
Providing insight into LUTH’s 2024 budget performance, Adeyemo reported a total allocation of ₦19.2 billion, with ₦13.57 billion dedicated to personnel costs and the rest for capital and overhead expenditures.
Professor Jesse Abiodun echoed these concerns, pointing to delays in releasing budgeted funds as a significant operational challenge for UCH. He revealed that only 38% of the hospital’s ₦5.59 billion capital appropriation for 2024 had been released, with the remaining 62% still pending. Payments only began in December, which, he noted, hindered the hospital’s ability to fully execute planned projects.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Patrick Umoh, urged CMDs of teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) to deliver detailed and transparent presentations to provide an accurate overview of their struggles and needs.
