Dignitaries at the high table during the opening ceremony of the WAHO Workshop on Workers motivation and retention in Abuja on Monday
By VICTOR CHIAHEMEN, Abuja –
The West African Health Organization (WAHO), is seriously worried and concerned about the growing shortages of health workers across West Africa due to a number of factors, including migration to other regions, lack of political will and low remuneration and delayed salaries.
To address the situation, a workshop to review regional work-plan for the motivation and retention of health workers in ECOWAS member countries, opened in Abuja on Monday with participants discussing the region’s health problems on human resources for health and sharing information, lessons learned and best practices.
The move is also coming against the backdrop of the World health Organization (WHO) estimates (Accra 2025), suggesting that Africa would need an additional 4.2 million health workers by 2030, which is barely four years from now.
Organised by WAHO, the three-day workshop was declared open by Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
Salako, who was represented by theDirector/Head of the Department of Health Planning Research & Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. John Ajiwohwodoma Ovuoraye emphasising the importance of cooperation among African countries, saying health workforce challenges could not be addressed effectively through isolated national efforts.
- Dr.John Ovuoraye, who represented Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako
The workshop is to examine the factors driving health workers abroad and measures governments could adopt to make staying and practising within the region a viable choice.
Participants stressed that investment in hospitals and medical infrastructure would not, on its own, guarantee better healthcare delivery without a motivated, adequately supported workforce.
One of the presentations at the meeting cited estimates indicating that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 11 per cent of the world’s population and 24 per cent of its disease burden, but only three per cent of the global health workforce.
The presentation said the imbalance posed a major challenge for ECOWAS member countries, which collectively serve more than 400 million people.
It also cited an estimate that Africa would require an additional 4.2 million health workers by 2030, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing governments seeking to improve access to quality healthcare.
The figures were presented as evidence of the pressure on African health systems, where shortages and unequal distribution of personnel can leave some communities struggling to access essential services.
Nigeria featured prominently in the discussions, with a presentation highlighting the migration of Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses in search of better opportunities abroad.
Figures attributed to a 2025 United Kingdom government report put the number of registered Nigerian doctors at between 85,000 and 90,000, while estimating that about 55,000 were still practising in Nigeria as of 2024.
The presentation used the difference to illustrate concerns about the loss of trained professionals and the difficulties facing efforts to maintain an adequate workforce at home.
The phenomenon, widely described as “japa” in Nigeria, extends beyond healthcare to other skilled professionals leaving the country for better employment prospects abroad.
Participants identified low and delayed salaries, inadequate medical equipment, heavy patient workloads, safety concerns during epidemics and limited opportunities for professional advancement among the factors undermining health worker retention.
They also raised concerns about disparities in professional training across the region, including differences in qualifications, certificate equivalencies, admission requirements and the duration of training programmes.
In his contribution, Prof. Folusho described healthcare worker retention as a strategic investment in human capital and called for practical measures supported by clear actions, measurable targets and accountability.
He said training must be linked to career opportunities, mentorship, research and institutional support, while urging policymakers to consult healthcare workers when developing policies that affect their working conditions.
He argued that the success of a regional retention strategy should be measured by how many professionals choose to stay, serve and thrive in West Africa, rather than by the quality of the document produced at the end of a meeting.
Another participant urged the meeting to approach health worker motivation and retention objectively, warning against allowing personal opinions to determine what professionals deserve in terms of remuneration, benefits and other incentives.
The speaker called for proposed measures to be assessed against international best practices, with the findings providing a basis for planning and mobilising resources for implementation.
West Africa must address poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions and limited career opportunities if it hopes to retain the healthcare professionals it trains, participants at a regional health workforce workshop in Abuja have warned.
“We cannot continue to train healthcare professionals for employment to the rest of the world while our own communities remain underserved,” Prof. Folusho said at the meeting on Monday.
“What we need to talk about is: what is the best way we can motivate our health workers, and when we motivate them, what is the best way we can retain them?” the participant said.
Referring to a presentation by Professor Odonoja, the speaker argued that some existing challenges arose when decision-makers concluded that certain professionals did not deserve particular benefits.
“This is an international work, and we should have an international outlook,” the participant added.
The intervention highlighted the importance of transparent, evidence-based policies that respond to workforce needs rather than personal preferences.
A presentation on the ECOWAS regional action plan for motivation and retention of human resources for health outlined activities aimed at understanding and addressing the factors influencing health workers’ decisions to remain in or leave their countries of service.
The proposed activities included conducting a study to assess health workers’ motivation and retention, as well as organising a regional meeting to review and harmonise existing motivation strategies.
The plan identified reports as indicators for assessing the activities and listed the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), relevant government institutions and development partners among the stakeholders responsible for supporting the work.
Governments, WAHO and partners were identified as potential funding sources.
A presentation at the workshop stressed that “without motivated workers, the best infrastructure will fail.”
It proposed a combination of financial and non-financial incentives, including competitive and timely salaries, recognition programmes, supportive leadership, mentorship and access to continuous professional development.
Participants also discussed improving conditions for professionals working in remote and underserved communities, where inadequate facilities and limited access to basic resources can make healthcare delivery particularly difficult.
Possible incentives included hardship allowances, housing support and additional professional development opportunities for workers serving in areas struggling to attract and retain personnel.
The meeting further emphasised government commitment to health workforce planning, evidence-based decision-making and collaboration with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
Regional cooperation was identified as important to sharing expertise, improving workforce planning and addressing migration pressures across national boundaries.
Representing the Director-General of WAHO, Prof. Joseph Olorunda, said the organisation considered the meeting important to its regional health agenda.
He explained that the new Director-General had reviewed planned activities and required clear justification for programmes, with some proposals needing consideration at higher levels within the ECOWAS system.
Olorua said activities had been consolidated and resources sought to support their implementation, urging participants to examine the issues carefully and avoid rushing to conclusions.
President of the Regional Council for Health Professional Education (RCPHE), Professor Agnon Koffi Balogou, also urged participants to work towards productive outcomes from the meeting.
The discussions underscored the need to treat healthcare workers as essential assets whose welfare, professional development and working conditions directly affect the quality of services available to the public.
The central challenge for governments is to turn those concerns into practical, adequately funded measures that give health professionals stronger reasons to remain, build their careers and serve their communities across West Africa.
