Why Nigeria’s hospitals are losing their staff
The country’s many problems are driving its own professionals abroad
![Doctor giving treatment in Rural clinic, Abuja, Nigeria](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20230812_MAP502.jpg)
A current buzzword in Nigeria is japa, a Yoruba verb meaning to run, flee or escape. So many Nigerians, most notably doctors and nurses, are seeking jobs abroad that politicians are bemoaning the “japa syndrome”—and have been debating ways to stem the outward flow. No one yet has an answer.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Call for the doctor, call Nigeria”
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