The Federal Government has granted special waivers to enable large-scale recruitment of healthcare professionals across federal tertiary institutions as part of efforts to tackle workforce shortages and the impact of brain drain.
Mr. Alaba Balogun, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He said the recruitment drive aims to ease pressure on existing medical personnel and enhance healthcare delivery across the country.
According to Balogun, more than 20,000 health workers were employed across 58 federal health institutions in recent months, while an additional 15,000 have been approved for recruitment in 2025.
“Additionally, the Federal Government has released ₦10.6 billion as at September 2025 for full payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), disbursed exclusively to resident doctors nationwide,” the statement read.
He added that the recruitment and training initiatives form part of a broader strategy to ensure Nigeria’s health facilities are adequately staffed and equipped to deliver quality care.
The ministry also announced the appointment of Prof. Dafe Otobo, an industrial relations expert, to facilitate ongoing negotiations between the government and health unions.
Balogun said Prof. Otobo has been meeting with all unions, both individually and jointly with ministry officials, to advance collective bargaining agreements and secure long-term resolutions to workers’ grievances.
Discussions, he added, are progressing on issues such as specialist allowances, salary relativity, consultant cadre appointments, and other welfare-related concerns.
