The Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria has stated that the country has only about 2,200 registered obstetricians and gynaecologists, as seven million babies are born each year.
In an exclusive interview, the Second Vice President of SOGON, Prof Christopher Aimakhu, said a population of over 240 million requires more than 7,000 registered and practising obstetricians and gynaecologists nationwide, stressing that the current number of specialists is grossly inadequate.
The maternal health expert further noted that despite the inadequate numbers, most obstetricians and gynaecologists practise in the urban areas, leaving rural areas in the country already battling high maternal mortality rates, without the much-needed skilled care doctors.
Aimakhu noted that insecurity, including the frequent kidnapping of doctors and other citizens, has contributed to the rural-urban migration of medical practitioners, alongside poor remuneration and inadequate equipment and facilities.
This has led to rural areas accounting for 43 per cent of maternal mortality rates in the country, with 500-800 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Already, Nigeria has the third-highest maternal mortality rate and accounts for 34 per cent of global maternal deaths.
The ‘japa’ wave has left Nigeria with about 40,000 doctors, far below the estimated 300,000 required to adequately serve a population of over 220 million.
Poor remuneration, deteriorating hospital facilities and equipment, and the insecure situation are factors fuelling the mass migration of Nigerian doctors.
the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof Bala Audu, said that Nigerian doctors are being recruited by countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Dubai because of the high quality of their training and professional competence.
“Nigerian doctors are highly trained and highly valued. Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Dubai, and many others actively recruit Nigerian doctors because of their quality,” he said.
Audu noted that the mass emigration and recruitment have left the country with 30,000 doctors and a doctor-patient ratio of 1:8,000.
“If you divide the estimated population of 240 million by the number of practising doctors, which is 30,000, it will give you the doctor-patient ratio of 1:8000,” he said.
With about seven million births recorded annually, according to the United Nations, and a persistently high fertility rate of 4.8 children per woman, as stated in the 2023–2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, the shortage of specialists raises serious concerns for maternal health in the country.
Aimakhu stated that the dwindling number of gynaecologists could worsen maternal outcomes in a country that already accounts for 34 per cent of global maternal deaths. The World Bank estimates Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023.
An earlier report also showed that the shortage of skilled birth medical practitioners extends beyond doctors, as the country’s midwifery system, historically the frontline of maternal care, especially in rural and underserved areas, is just as overwhelmed.
As of 2023, Nigeria had fewer than 200,000 midwives serving a population of over 217 million.
According to the WHO’s standard of 44.5 midwives per 10,000 people, Nigeria would need about 700,000 more nurses and midwives to meet even the basic global benchmark.
In practical terms, this means long queues at antenatal clinics, unattended labour wards, overstretched personnel, and countless women forced to rely on underqualified workers or travel miles, often in pain or critical condition, just to find a health professional who can help.
For some of these pregnant women, the shortage meant there was no one there to intervene when minutes could have made the difference between life and death.
Speaking further, Aimakhu estimated that the country now probably has between 2,000 and 3,000 gynaecologists.
The professor noted that many of the qualified gynaecologists had left the country, while a few others had been qualified but were not counted.
He stated, “So for a country of over 200 million people, that is small. A few of them are also probably not in Nigeria anymore. They’ve left, and a few of them who have just been qualified might not be registered with the association. So I’ll say presently about 2,200 obstetricians and gynaecologists in Nigeria. A country with our population needs over 7,000 obstetricians and gynaecologists spread around the country. Most practice in urban cities.
Speaking further, the leading maternal health expert noted that the gynaecologists were located in certain areas, stating that the four key places where many gynaecologists could be found were Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu.
The professor stated, “You cannot talk of a shortage of gynaecologists in Lagos. There are plenty in Lagos. Most of our gynaecologists are in Lagos and Abuja.
“In a place like Kebbi State, there are like 10 gyns in all of that state. In a place like Niger State, there are probably like 10, 15 of them, which is, for a state like that, too small.”
He noted that Enugu had many gynaecologists compared to other states in the East because of the presence of the teaching hospital and a few other private hospitals.
Aimakhu stated that states like Niger, Kogi, Kebbi, and Jigawa had few gynaecologists, adding that some states were not safe for doctors.
He said, “In a place like Zamfara, I know five gynaecologists who have run away from Zamfara. In fact, a gynaecologist was kidnapped a year ago. He was kidnapped for about four weeks. So those places are not safe for them.”
The professor added that Edo State was also good in terms of gynaecologists due to the presence of teaching hospitals, regional hospitals, central hospitals, and other healthcare facilities that employ gynaecologists.
The grossly inadequate number of gynaecologists, coupled with the high maternal mortality ratio, means Nigeria may be unable to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
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