Nigeria Faces 122,696 Primary Healthcare Worker Shortage

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reported a shortage of 122,696 primary healthcare workers, necessitating an estimated N4.55 billion for recruitment over three years. Zaiyanatu Umar, the lead of the Human Resources for Health Project, disclosed this information during the 15th meeting of the Ministerial Oversight Committee on National Healthcare Implementation in Abuja.

An analysis of baseline data from 26 states revealed that 220,755 primary healthcare positions are required, with 98,059 currently occupied, leaving 122,696 vacancies that need urgent recruitment. The average staffing level is 7.5 primary healthcare workers per 10,000 population, with 55.6% of positions remaining vacant.

The South East recorded a severe staffing shortage of 73%, while the North West showed a 70.9% gap. The report also mentioned that the World Bank supports the government's program to improve financial management and service delivery across primary healthcare.