The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised serious concerns over the escalating departure of medical doctors from Jigawa State, attributing the crisis chiefly to poor remuneration and the state's failure to implement promised salary adjustments. The association warns that this trend jeopardizes the foundation of Jigawa’s healthcare system and urgently calls for government intervention.
Since February 2025, Jigawa State has witnessed a staggering exit of about 300 doctors, as disclosed by Dr. Usman Haruna, the NMA chairman in the state. This mass resignation is driven by the allure of neighboring states and federal institutions offering more competitive salaries aligned with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), which Jigawa has failed to fully adopt or update.
The NMA highlighted that following a crucial engagement with Governor Umar Namadi, who kindly mandated a minimum wage implementation committee to review salary adjustments for doctors within two weeks, the committee has since failed to submit its report despite reportedly completing the task months ago. This prolonged delay has intensified dissatisfaction among medical professionals and accelerated their migration out of the state service.
NMA Chairman Haruna noted that Jigawa was once a leader in adopting CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), but the current failure to honor salary reviews and adjust allowances such as hazard pay and call duty benefits severely undermines doctors’ welfare. Despite Jigawa allocating about 16% of its 2023 annual budget to health exceeding the Abuja Declaration minimum the state has become one of Nigeria’s worst hit by brain drain in the healthcare sector.
The doctor-to-patient ratio in Jigawa stands alarmingly low at approximately 1:21,000, compared to the World Health Organization’s recommended 1:600. This shortage severely undermines healthcare quality and availability for its population of around seven million people.
The NMA cautioned that the hemorrhaging of highly trained doctors threatens to erode the health gains made under Governor Namadi’s administration and may compel members toward industrial action, including strikes, if the state government does not expedite salary harmonization and deliver on its promises.
This crisis in Jigawa mirrors a broader national trend where poor pay and working conditions have led to an accelerated brain drain in Nigeria’s medical sector, with thousands of doctors emigrating annually for better opportunities abroad or in more affluent Nigerian states.
The NMA call to action is clear: Jigawa State must promptly implement the overdue salary adjustments reflecting federal pay structures, restore morale through better compensation, and stabilize its healthcare workforce to avert the potential collapse of public health services.
The situation demands immediate and decisive government response to retain medical professionals critical to Jigawa's health system.
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