NMA pushes for 65-year retirement age for doctors
The Nigerian Medical Association has renewed its call for the Federal Government to raise the retirement age for clinical health workers to 65, arguing that retaining experienced professionals is critical to tackling Nigeria’s worsening shortage of skilled healthcare personnel.
NMA President, Dr Afekhide Omoti, made the demand on Friday in Abuja after the association’s National Executive Council meeting, which brought together representatives from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Nigerian Medical Association has renewed its call for the Federal Government to raise the retirement age for clinical health workers to 65, arguing that retaining experienced professionals is critical to tackling Nigeria’s worsening shortage of skilled healthcare personnel.
NMA President, Dr Afekhide Omoti, made the demand on Friday in Abuja after the association’s National Executive Council meeting, which brought together representatives from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The association said the policy had become more urgent as Nigeria continued to lose doctors and other health professionals to migration.
Omoti said extending the retirement age would help keep experienced clinicians in the health system while the government worked on longer-term solutions to workforce shortages and brain drain.
“At a time when Nigeria is experiencing a significant shortage of skilled healthcare professionals due to migration and other factors, retaining experienced clinicians within the system is essential,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to implement the 65-year retirement age without unnecessary restrictions, describing it as an important measure to ease the pressure on the country’s overstretched healthcare workforce.
The NMA also warned that investment in hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure would have limited impact without adequate numbers of qualified and motivated personnel to operate them.
“Infrastructure alone cannot guarantee an effective health system without a motivated, adequately protected and properly remunerated health workforce,” Omoti said.
The association identified poor working conditions, insecurity, inadequate remuneration and limited career opportunities among the factors driving healthcare professionals out of the country.
It called for stronger measures to improve the welfare and security of health workers, as well as the conclusion and implementation of the outstanding collective bargaining agreement between the Federal Government and health workers.
The NMA said the financial implications of the agreement should be reflected in the 2027 budget.
It also raised concerns about insecurity affecting medical personnel and healthcare facilities, citing the reported captivity of a doctor from Niger State for about four months.
Omoti said healthcare workers should not be forced to choose between treating patients and protecting their own lives.
The association further urged governments to improve roads leading to healthcare facilities, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where poor transport links can delay emergency treatment and referrals.
It also called for drug and substance abuse among young Nigerians to be treated as a national public health priority, alongside expanded mental health and addiction services.
The NMA maintained that improving working conditions, security, remuneration and career prospects, alongside raising the retirement age, would help retain experienced professionals and strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
