The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Wednesday decried the country’s poor doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:9,083, describing it as far from global best practice.
In a press statement issued on Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, the association announced that with effect from today, October 1, 2025, resident doctors across the country will no longer take continuous calls beyond 24 hours.
The statement was signed by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim.
Nigeria has long struggled with a shortage of doctors, worsened by a steady exodus of health professionals seeking better pay and working conditions abroad.
According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, over 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country in the last five to seven years to seek greener pastures in other countries. The consequence is a crushing workload on those who remain, especially resident doctors who form the backbone of Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare system.
Medical associations have repeatedly warned that unless conditions improve, more doctors will continue to leave, worsening the crisis.