Migration Trends and Workforce Implications among Nigerian Physiotherapists

Abstract

Background: Nigeria faces a critical shortage of skilled health workers, with workforce density far below the WHO-recommended threshold. This shortage is exacerbated by emigration of healthcare professionals in search of better opportunities abroad. Despite the high emigration rates of physiotherapists from Nigeria there is currently no documented evidence on the trend and patterns of migration of this group of healthcare professionals. This study examined the trends, patterns, and destination countries of physiotherapists emigrating from Nigeria between 2018 and 2023.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study design was used to analyse secondary data obtained from the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN). The dataset included records of registered physiotherapists, institutions of training, year of graduation, and verification requests submitted for foreign licensure or employment between January 2018 and December 2023. Verification requests served as a proxy for tracking migration.

Results: Between 2018 and 2023, 2,305 physiotherapists emigrated, representing 31.5% of those who been trained in Nigeria between 1992 and 2023. Migration increased sharply from 2020, peaking in 2022 when nearly half (1,021) of all emigrants within the study period left the country. Of the emigrants, 57.8% were male, with the male-to-female migration ratio reaching 3.5:1 in 2023. The United Kingdom was the predominant destination, receiving 87.5% of all emigrants.

Conclusion: Physiotherapists migration from Nigeria has risen significantly over the past six years, with one-third of the country’s trained workforce relocating abroad, particularly to the United Kingdom. This exodus threatens the availability of quality rehabilitation services and underscores the urgent need for policies to improve retention.