The former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has expressed concern over the increasing emigration of doctors from Nigeria, warning that if the trend continues, herbalists will be the only available healthcare providers in the country. Mimiko raised this alarm during the induction ceremony of the first set of medical doctors at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo town.
He criticized the situation where healthcare professionals are trained at a subsidized rate in Nigeria but then leave for better opportunities abroad, without contributing back to the country.Mimiko emphasized the urgent need for the government to address this brain drain in the health sector. He called for disincentives to discourage the emigration of medical personnel and suggested that the government should engage in diplomatic discussions with countries benefiting from Nigeria’s trained professionals. Mimiko proposed that if foreign countries want to hire Nigerian doctors, they should also invest in expanding the capacity of Nigerian medical institutions to train more doctors.
He commended Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for his commitment to UNIMED and his appointment of Prof. Adesegun Fatusi as the Vice-Chancellor based on merit, despite opposition. Mimiko urged the government to take immediate action at a high diplomatic level to prevent the loss of Nigeria’s best human resources and transform the situation into a win-win scenario for the nation.
