The Kwara State Government has raised the alarm over a severe shortage of medical doctors across its health facilities, describing the situation as “worrisome” amid mounting pressure on the public health system.
Speaking during a ministerial press briefing with the state’s Ministry of Communication, Dr. Abdulraheem AbdulMalik, Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Hospital Management Board, said the shortage is driven by the ongoing “brain‑drain” or “japa” phenomenon.
“We have the governor’s approval to recruit doctors, but we simply can’t find enough doctors to recruit,” he said.
“Doctors are hot cakes now. If one resigns in the morning, they’ll have another job by afternoon.”
According to AbdulMalik, the state currently has only 99 doctors employed, well below the estimated 180 to 200 needed to adequately serve its population and of those 99, only 96 are currently on payroll.
“We actually had 96, but after the governor increased salaries, three returned. So we now have 99,” he noted.
“We nonetheless still require about 180–200 doctors across the state.”
The shortage is most acute in rural areas, where attracting and retaining medical professionals is particularly challenging.
To address this, the board is working to introduce better remuneration and incentives for rural‑service doctors.
Additionally, the state is developing a software application to support its 45 health facilities, enabling patients to check in real time how many doctors are available at a given facility, aimed at reducing long wait times and the risk of patient collapse while waiting for care.
To build a sustainable supply of doctors, Kwara is also rolling out a retention scheme that will begin in approximately three to four years.
Under the plan, the state will sponsor students from medical schools for one or two years, in exchange for a mandatory service period in Kwara after graduation.
“We’re starting from the 400‑level students now. After their clinical level training, they’ll work back for the state as repayment for the investment,” AbdulMalik explained.
