Korede Abdullah 
ILORIN, Nigeria – Kwara State is battling a severe medical manpower crisis, with only 99 doctors currently serving across its hospitals — far below the required 180 to 200, and just 96 on the government’s payroll.
The Executive Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Dr Abdulraheem AbdulMalik, disclosed this on Thursday at a ministerial press briefing organised by the Ministry of Communication, describing the shortage as “deeply worrisome.”
“We have the approval of His Excellency to recruit doctors, but we just can’t find them,” AbdulMalik said. “Doctors are hot cakes now. If one resigns in the morning, he gets another job by afternoon.”
He blamed the brain drain phenomenon, widely known as japa, for the exodus of medical professionals from the state’s hospitals, especially in rural areas where healthcare delivery is most affected.
AbdulMalik noted that three doctors recently rejoined the service after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approved a salary increase for medical personnel to make state hospitals more competitive.
To mitigate the crisis, he said the board is developing a digital software platform to help patients check doctor availability across 45 hospitals, reducing waiting times and emergencies.
He added that the government has launched a retention and sponsorship scheme for medical students, requiring beneficiaries to serve the state upon graduation. “The plan will take off in four years when they reach clinical level,” he said.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
