The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised an alarm over the shortage of doctors in Oyo State, saying only 1,996 doctors are available to serve about 10 million residents. On those figures, each doctor in the state would be responsible for roughly 5,000 people.

The figure matches data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which ranked Oyo among the better-supplied states, fifth nationally behind Lagos (7,385), the Federal Capital Territory (4,453), Rivers (2,194) and Enugu (2,070).

That placement shows how thin the cover is even in states with comparatively high doctor numbers. At the other extreme, Taraba had only 201 doctors, with Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi and Yobe each recording fewer than 300.

The shortage has been felt inside Oyo’s government hospitals for some time. About a year ago, the NMA’s Oyo State chairperson, Happy Adedapo, said several general hospitals were running with one or two doctors, with some having none at all.

He noted that every general hospital in the state once had between five and seven doctors, and that the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomosho, which used to have about 150 doctors, now has fewer than 60. He blamed overwork, poor pay and weak working conditions.

The state’s problem mirrors a national one. Health Minister Ali Pate has said Nigeria has only about 55,000 licensed doctors for more than 200 million people, with around 16,000 having left the country in the last five years and another 17,000 no longer in active service.

The NMA has repeatedly linked the exodus to burnout, poor remuneration, insecurity and a lack of incentives, and has called for measures such as rural allowances, car loans and overtime pay to keep doctors in underserved areas. Doctors also tend to cluster in big cities, leaving rural and insecure areas short of cover.