The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has condemned the government’s recent agreement to send Nigerian doctors and healthcare workers to Saint Lucia.
The association warned that the move could worsen the country’s ongoing brain drain crisis and negatively impact healthcare delivery.
In a statement signed by NMA Secretary General Benjamin Egbo and shared on Thursday via the association’s X handle, the NMA said it was “deeply concerned” by the announcement, coming at a time when “Nigerian doctors are grappling with systemic neglect, poor salaries, and withheld allowances.”
The association described the agreement as “inexcusable” and said it reflects the government’s disregard for the worsening welfare of Nigerian doctors.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian government announced a plan to deploy skilled professionals, including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) Agreement.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the government said the initiative is part of broader efforts to deepen South-South cooperation and strengthen ties with the African diaspora.
The agreement, signed in Castries by the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Yusuf Yakub, will see Nigerian volunteers serve for two years in the host countries, with salaries and logistics covered by the Nigerian government, while Saint Lucia provides accommodation and local support.
Yakub noted that since May 2023, over 300 Nigerian professionals have been deployed across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific under the revitalised TAC scheme.
However, NMA said that while it supports international cooperation, “it is morally unjustifiable to export healthcare workers to foreign countries and pay them five times higher than they earned while serving in Nigeria.”
NMA highlighted that doctors working in Saint Lucia earn up to N131.7 million each year. Nigerian doctors being sent to Saint Lucia will be paid N40.8 million, while those working in Nigeria earn a maximum of N11.9 million annually.
