By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s recent decision to deploy Nigerian doctors to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a new Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement, describing the move as “morally unjustifiable” and “inexcusable” given the dire state of the healthcare sector at home.
In a statement dated Thursday, July 3, 2025, and signed by its Secretary General, Dr. Benjamin Sichey Egbo, the association expressed “deep concern and dismay,” saying the decision to export medical professionals contradicts the deteriorating working conditions faced by doctors in Nigeria.
“Exporting doctors while undermining their welfare at home is inexcusable,” the NMA stated, adding that many Nigerian doctors continue to struggle with poor remuneration, unpaid allowances, hazardous work environments, and growing burnout.
The association noted that government neglect had triggered a mass exodus of medical professionals, leaving behind a workforce overwhelmed by excessive workloads, increased stress, and worsening public health outcomes.
“This move is a deeply troubling contradiction and an attempt to bolster Nigeria’s international image while failing to meet basic obligations owed to doctors toiling hard within the country,” the statement read.
The NMA also decried chronic delays in the disbursement of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), non-implementation of welfare agreements, and inconsistent application of the CONMESS salary structure for medical workers. These failures, it said, have deepened dissatisfaction in the profession and contributed to preventable deaths in Nigerian hospitals.
On Wednesday, just a day before the statement, the NMA issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address a range of outstanding issues. These include the withdrawal of a controversial circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), the resolution of unpaid allowances, and respect for the autonomy of Nigerian doctors.
While acknowledging the importance of regional cooperation, the NMA argued that sending healthcare professionals abroad while offering them better pay than their counterparts at home highlights a “morally indefensible” disparity. According to the association, Nigerian doctors deployed to Saint Lucia receive an annual compensation of ₦40.8 million from the Nigerian government, compared to an average annual salary of just ₦11.9 million for doctors working within Nigeria. By contrast, Saint Lucia pays its top-tier doctors up to ₦131.7 million annually.
“We are encouraging brain drain while patients suffer. It is indefensible,” the NMA asserted.
The deployment follows the signing of a Technical Manpower Assistance agreement between Nigeria and Saint Lucia. The pact, signed in Castries by the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Yusuf Buba Yakub, and Saint Lucia’s Acting Permanent Secretary for External Affairs, Janelle Modeste-Stephen, covers the deployment of doctors, teachers, and agriculturists.
Under the agreement, Nigerian professionals will serve for two years, with the Nigerian government covering allowances and travel, while host nations provide accommodation and local support.
Yakub described the initiative as “a great achievement,” aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for South-South cooperation and deeper engagement with the African diaspora in the Caribbean. He revealed that since August 2023, over 300 Nigerian professionals have been deployed across Africa and the Caribbean, with additional deployments to Grenada and Jamaica expected soon.
President Tinubu is currently on a state visit to Saint Lucia, the first stop in a two-nation tour of the Caribbean and South America. On Monday, he addressed a joint session of the Saint Lucian Parliament, where he announced scholarships for students from OECS member states to study in Nigerian universities and proposed visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
He was later conferred with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (K.C.S.L.) in recognition of his efforts to strengthen Africa-Caribbean ties.
