The Lagos State Government has unveiled a “Brain Gain” strategy aimed at addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals and reversing the trend of skilled workers leaving Nigeria for opportunities abroad, popularly known as “Japa.”
The State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a post on Monday, noting that Nigeria’s healthcare system faces a critical shortage of professionals across various cadres due to emigration, inadequate training capacity and population growth.
Abayomi said Lagos was moving beyond discussions about brain drain by expanding local healthcare training and reforming healthcare financing to align the state’s health sector with international standards.
He said the strategy was designed to reduce the migration of healthcare workers while attracting skilled professionals back to Nigeria, a process he described as “Japada.”
According to the commissioner, the Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a bill to transform the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) into a standalone University of Medicine and Health Sciences, to be known as LASUMAH. The bill is awaiting the governor’s assent.
He explained that the proposed university would increase annual enrolment of healthcare students, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and laboratory scientists, from 500 to 3,000 over five years.
Abayomi added that reforms to healthcare financing would help narrow the gap between local and international healthcare markets, reduce the incentive for professionals to emigrate and strengthen financial protection for vulnerable residents.
He said the state was also preparing 30 general hospitals, more than 300 primary healthcare centres and 10 maternal and child centres to serve as clinical training facilities.
The facilities would be supported by training hubs, student accommodation and logistics across Lagos’ five IBILE zones: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe.
The commissioner disclosed that the first phase of a statewide infrastructure audit identified three facilities for immediate transformation: the former COVID-19 isolation centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, the Cardio Renal Centre at Gbagada General Hospital and the main LASUCOM campus.
He said the first phase had commenced with the renovation of the former CACOVID isolation unit at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, which has been retrofitted and handed over to LASUCOM to house its new Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
According to Abayomi, the facility provides 315 modern laboratory workstations, 520 lecture hall seats and 169 seminar seats across six departments.
