By Muhammad Amaan
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has faulted the Nigeria’s Federal Government’s decision to deploy Nigerian doctors to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a new Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement.
The NMA in a statement issued by its Secretary General, Dr Benjamin Egbo, described the deployment as “inexcusable” given the “deteriorating” working conditions and neglect of medical professionals at home.
“Exporting doctors while undermining their welfare at home is inexcusable,” the NMA said in a statement dated Thursday, July 3, 2025.
The association expressed “deep concern and dismay” over the government’s move, arguing that it contradicted the reality faced by many Nigerian doctors, who are “struggling with poor remuneration, unpaid allowances, hazardous working conditions, and widespread burnout.”
“This move is a deeply troubling contradiction and an attempt to bolster Nigeria’s international image while failing to meet basic obligations owed to doctors toiling hard within the country,” the statement read.
The NMA said Nigerian doctors had been subjected to “chronic delays” in the payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), non-implementation of previously agreed welfare packages, and inconsistent application of the CONMESS salary structure.
These challenges, the association added, have led to mass emigration of doctors, excessive workloads for those who remain, rising stress levels, and even preventable deaths, all of which contribute to worsening public health outcomes in the country.
Last Wednesday, the NMA issued a separate 21-day ultimatum to the government to address its demands, including the withdrawal of a controversial circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), resolution of outstanding allowances, and respect for the professional autonomy of Nigerian doctors.
While affirming its support for international collaboration and regional development, the NMA stated that it is “morally unjustifiable” for the government to export healthcare workers while paying them significantly more than their counterparts serving at home.
The association drew attention to the glaring disparity in earnings between Nigerian doctors deployed abroad and those working within the country.
According to the NMA, the Saint Lucian government pays its highest-earning doctors N131.7 million per annum. In contrast, Nigerian doctors deployed to Saint Lucia under the Technical Manpower Assistance agreement receive N40.8 million annually from the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, doctors serving within Nigeria earn an average of only N11.9 million per annum. “We are encouraging brain drain while patients suffer. It is indefensible,” the association noted.
Health Reporters Newspaper reports that the Federal Government announced plans to send Nigerian professionals, including doctors, teachers, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean countries under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement
The agreement, signed in Castries, Saint Lucia, forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader foreign policy agenda to promote South-South cooperation and reconnect with the African diaspora in the Caribbean.
Under the agreement, Nigerian volunteers are to serve for two years, with Nigeria covering their allowances and logistics, while the host nations provide accommodation and local support.
President Tinubu is currently on a state visit to Saint Lucia, the first leg of a two-nation tour of the Caribbean and South America.
