By Chioma Obinna

Resident doctors at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, FNPH Yaba, Lagos, have raised the alarm over the worsening shortage of medical personnel in Nigeria, warning that the exodus of healthcare workers, popularly known as Japa, is deepening the country’s mental health crisis and leaving millions of Nigerians without access to treatment.

The doctors also said no fewer than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have emigrated in the last five years, worsening an already dire manpower shortage in the country’s health sector.

They further lamented that about 85 per cent of Nigerians living with mental health disorders are unable to access mental healthcare services due to the shortage of specialists, poor funding and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

The doctors under the aegis Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, ARD, FNPH, Yaba, Lagos raised the concerns during the 2026 Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association held in Lagos.

The conference, themed, “Too Few Doctors, Too Many Patients: The Consequences of Manpower Shortage on the Mental Well-being of Nigerians,” examined the impact of the mass migration of healthcare workers on the nation’s mental health system.

Speaking, the President of the association, Dr. Okuwoga Temitope, said the shortage of doctors had become a major threat to access to quality mental healthcare in Nigeria.

“This year’s theme speaks to a reality we confront daily in our healthcare system. As mental health professionals and trainees, we witness firsthand the widening treatment gap, the burden on already stretched healthcare workers and the impact these shortages have on access to quality mental healthcare for Nigerians,” he said.

“As doctors, our responsibilities extend beyond consultations and ward rounds. We must become stronger voices for our patients, better communicators of mental health realities and advocates for systems that truly serve the people,” Temitope said.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Dr. Yesir Kareem, painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s healthcare workforce crisis.

According to him, Nigeria currently has a doctor-patient ratio of about one doctor to more than 10,000 patients, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor to 600 people.
He said: “Only about 55,000 doctors remain to serve a population of over 220 million Nigerians. More than 40 million Nigerians suffer from mental health disorders, yet about 85 per cent of them do not have access to mental healthcare services.”

Kareem added that the country also suffers from a severe shortage of mental health specialists, with the number of psychiatrists available falling significantly below global standards.

He identified poor remuneration, delayed salaries, poor working conditions, inadequate medical equipment, limited career opportunities and insecurity as some of the factors driving healthcare workers abroad.

The psychiatrist warned that the consequences of the manpower crisis extend beyond hospitals.
“Untreated mental illness leads to delayed diagnosis, family breakdown, unemployment, substance abuse and premature deaths. The economic consequences are equally devastating, with billions of dollars lost annually due to untreated mental health conditions,” he said.

The association also expressed concern over the effect of the shortage on healthcare workers, noting that resident doctors are increasingly experiencing burnout, stress, anxiety and depression due to overwhelming workloads.

The doctors called on governments at all levels to improve working conditions in the health sector, increase funding for mental health services and prioritise the retention of healthcare professionals.

They also advocated the integration of mental healthcare into primary healthcare centres, deployment of telepsychiatry services and increased public awareness to combat stigma associated with mental illness.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Dr. Temitope, General Secretary, Dr. Ogba Anoka, and Public Relations Officer, Dr. Fadoju Patrick, the association reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with hospital management in advancing the welfare of resident doctors and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of quality mental healthcare services.

The association further called on the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, to expedite the enrolment of newly employed resident doctors on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, to prevent delays in salary payments and the financial hardship that could arise from such delays.

The resident doctors, however, commended the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, for restoring public electricity supply to both the Yaba and Oshodi arms of the hospital after a prolonged outage, while calling for more stable and consistent electricity to support clinical services and residency training.