Nigeria is experiencing a significant loss of highly skilled professionals across multiple sectors, particularly in healthcare, due to increasing international migration. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as brain flight, has resulted in critical workforce shortages in essential services. The healthcare sector is among the most affected, with severe implications for service delivery and public health outcomes. Although sub-Saharan Africa accounts for a disproportionately low share of global health workers, it bears a substantial burden of disease, exacerbating the impact of workforce depletion. Recent migration trends indicate that thousands of Nigerian medical doctors and academics now reside abroad, contributing to widening gaps in domestic healthcare provision. This study examines the distribution and implications of medical doctor migration within federal tertiary healthcare institutions in South-South Nigeria. It highlights the structural challenges driving workforce attrition and the resulting strain on institutional capacity. The paper underscores the urgent need for policy interventions aimed at retention, workforce stabilization, and sustainable healthcare system strengthening
Williams et al. (Fri,) studied this question.