The federal government has issued a directive requiring health workers seeking employment abroad to resign from their current positions before departing the country.
Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, announced this executive order during a visit to the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, March 9. He emphasized that the practice of health workers leaving the country after applying for a leave of absence is no longer acceptable.
Alausa stated, “To address this issue, the President has instructed that health workers intending to work abroad should simply resign from their current positions and not request a leave of absence. This approach prevents the blocking of opportunities for other aspiring workers and reduces the burden on colleagues left behind.”
Acknowledging the impact of health workers migrating abroad on the sector’s manpower, Alausa mentioned that the government is actively working to increase the production of skilled personnel. Efforts are being made to significantly enhance the enrollment of nurses, with plans to increase the current figure from 28,000 to 68,000, and ultimately to 120,000 by the year’s end. This initiative aims to ensure a constant supply of skilled professionals to fill vacancies created by those departing from their positions.
