Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on governments at all levels to improve working conditions for Nigerian medical professionals to stem the tide of migration in search of better opportunities abroad.

Speaking on Tuesday during the commissioning of the renovated Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Zamfara State, Obasanjo said it is not enough to build health facilities without equipping them and motivating the personnel who work there.

Hosted by Governor Dauda Lawal, the elder statesman decried the growing ‘Japa’ trend a popular term describing the mass departure of young Nigerians, especially health workers, to Europe, the Americas, and Asia for economic stability and job security.

“We need all the personnel that we can have because our hospitals have to deliver,” Obasanjo said.
“You need the right environment, and that is the refurbishing and renovation. But you also need the right equipment, and then you need the personnel. I am happy that you have brought them all together now let us make good use of them.”

He commended Governor Lawal for undertaking the hospital renovation at a time when the country faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers due to migration.

Obasanjo stressed that only a combination of infrastructure, proper equipment, and competitive pay will help Nigeria retain its skilled medical workforce and improve its public healthcare system.