HOUSEMANSHIP GAP LEAVES 2,000 NIGERIAN DOCTORS STRANDED ANNUALLY — MDCN
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
About 2,000 medical doctors in Nigeria are left without housemanship placements every year because the centralized system can only absorb 4,000 out of the 6,000 doctors produced annually. This was disclosed by the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Mrs Fatimah Kyari, during the 2026 budget defence before the Senate Committee on Health in Abuja.
She called for the inclusion of state and private hospitals in the centralized housemanship system to ensure all medical graduates are accommodated yearly, noting that the situation contributes to brain drain in the health sector. Mrs Kyari also raised concerns over inadequate funding of the council, despite partial release of personnel costs.
The Senate Committee on Health assured the MDCN of improved funding and support.