ArticleBMC medical education2025
Exploring the emigration intentions of Nigerian medical and nursing students: factors driving migration and implications for Nigeria's healthcare system.
Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- A scoping review on medical students' international migration: trends, determinants, and implications for global health workforce planning.Human resources for health · 2025Article
- Evaluation of student engagement among Nigerian medical students using the AMEE ASPIRE criteria.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Factors Associated With Migration Intentions Among Talented Medical Students in Iran: Cultural, Educational, and Social Correlates.Journal of medical education and curricular developmentArticle
- Fractures in the System: Local Voices and Global Strategies for Orthopaedic Reform in Nigeria.JB & JS open accessArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe emigration of healthcare professionals significantly contributes to brain drain within Nigeria's healthcare sector, exacerbating existing workforce shortages. This study investigates the emigration intentions of Nigerian medical and nursing students, focusing on preferred destinations, key motivating factors, and the potential long-term consequences for the nation's healthcare system.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical and nursing students from six universities, purposefully selected to represent Nigeria's geopolitical zones. A total of 2,152 students (Medicine and Surgery = 1254; Nursing = 898) participated in the study. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire and analysed with IBM SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were applied, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
results72.9% of students expressed intentions to practice abroad, primarily seeking specialist training within the first five years post-graduation (97.7%). Alarmingly, 32.7% had no intention of ever returning to Nigeria, while only 11.7% of those intending to stay intend to leave after completing specialist training. The top three emigration destinations were the United States (28.5%), the United Kingdom (24.6%), and Canada (23.1%). The main drivers of emigration included better training opportunities (75.2%), access to advanced equipment (61.1%), and improved career prospects (56.7%). Respondents predicted negative impacts on Nigeria's healthcare system, including increased mortality rates and potential system collapse.
conclusionThe findings reveal a high propensity for emigration among Nigerian medical and nursing students, with significant implications for the country's healthcare system. The study underscores the urgent need for policy interventions that address systemic challenges such as inadequate resources, poor working conditions, remuneration and career development opportunities. Strengthening local training conditions and offering competitive incentives may help mitigate the brain drain and ensure a sustainable healthcare workforce in Nigeria.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.