Nigerian Health Commissioners Bemoan Brain Drain

Dr. Banji Filani, the Chairman for the Nigerian Health Commissioners’ forum, has conveyed the organisations eagerness in combating the brain drain that is plaguing the country’s health sector in order to improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

Dr. Filani, who is also the Ekiti State Commissioner for Health explained that, “The current wave of brain drain is much higher than at any other time in the country’s history. Unlike in the past, more nurses are leaving in droves, with attendant consequences on the quality of service delivery in our primary healthcare centres.”

He spoke during a statement by Mr. Akinjide Akinleye, the Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Health, which was titled, “Fayemi’s appointee, Filani, emerges Chairman, Health Commissioners’ Forum.”

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Dr. Filani said that the new position would give him the opportunity to be ablr “to work hard and synergise with other states to tackle brain drain, mortality rate and promote health security in all spheres.”

He urged for his colleagues to prepare ahead of the year 2023 as the nation is preparing to elect a new set of leaders, and said, “The predisposition of new leaders to health and healthcare had implications on how health would be financed.”

Dr. Filani assured that he would guide the forum to properly leverage the growing sense among development partners to engage more at the sub-national levels, given the limited traction in their previous national-level strategies, and strive to achieve public health security.