The scourge of human capital flight on Nigeria’s health system

Abstract

The health workforce constitutes essential component of the effective service delivery of any health system. Today, Nigeria’s health system is faced with the trajectory of human capital flight, coupled with significant number of skilled personnel migrating to other countries for greener pastures. The trajectory poses challenges to the Nigerian society and therefore deserves attention from the academic community. The article, therefore, aimed at examining the magnitude, drivers, and consequences associated with human capital flight in Nigeria’s health system. The article employs world system theory of migration, which was developed by Immanuel Wallerstein, as the theoretical framework. Regarding methodology, the article employs a secondary source of information, where the author sourced, reviewed and organized relevant articles and materials to advance the thrust of the subject matter. Findings from the existing literature reveal that the scourge of human capital flight in Nigeria has created additional burdens for the public health system, coupled with poor service delivery and health outcomes. The article, therefore, recommends a paradigm shift such that various stakeholders in the country put in place efficient measures toward mitigating the trajectory of human capital flight in Nigeria’s health system so as to respond to the health needs of the citizens.