NARD laments: One doctor attends to 9,083 Nigerians

A doctor

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Wednesday decried the country’s poor doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:9,083, describing it as far from global best practice.

In a press statement issued on Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, the association announced that with effect from today, October 1, 2025, resident doctors across the country will no longer take continuous calls beyond 24 hours.

The statement was signed by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim.

Nigeria has long struggled with a shortage of doctors, worsened by a steady exodus of health professionals seeking better pay and working conditions abroad. Punch