TINUBU TASKS MEDICAL COLLEGE WITH TACKLING DOCTORS’ ‘JAPA’ SYNDROME

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By: Muftau Fatimo

Tinubu Tasks West African College of Physicians on Solutions to Doctors’ Migration

President Bola Tinubu has urged the West African College of Physicians (WACP) to develop strategies to address the migration of doctors from Nigeria and other West African countries in search of better opportunities abroad.

The college’s Assistant Secretary-General, Hasibu Galadanci, disclosed this on Saturday during a press conference in Abuja to mark its golden jubilee and annual general and scientific meeting.

According to Galadanci, Tinubu raised the issue, popularly known as the ‘japa’ syndrome, during a meeting with the college’s leadership, urging its members to explore practical solutions to the growing challenge.

“In fact, when we saw the President of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Tinubu, that was one of the main things he charged us with, that we should discuss the ‘japa’ syndrome and find solutions to them,” he said.

Galadanci explained that the conference would feature a dedicated session to examine the factors driving healthcare professionals out of West Africa and the conditions attracting them to foreign countries.

He acknowledged that the migration of medical professionals was a challenge the region could not ignore, stressing the need to explore ways of managing its impact on healthcare delivery.

“It’s not something we can run away from. So what we have to discuss is how are we going to manage it,” he said.

The conference, which commenced on Saturday, will run until October 28 in Abuja, bringing together medical specialists, researchers and health policymakers to discuss workforce retention, healthcare delivery, medical education and other challenges facing health systems across the region.

The college’s President, Mamadou Ka, said the golden jubilee provided an opportunity to honour the institution’s founding members, review its achievements over the past five decades and establish priorities for postgraduate medical education and healthcare delivery in the years ahead.

“Fifty years ago, our founding fathers set out to promote excellence in postgraduate medical education, strengthen professional standards and improve healthcare across the region. The Golden Jubilee is our moment to honour them, take stock of what has been achieved and set the course for the next 50 years,” Ka said.

He disclosed that the college conferred its honorary fellowship on Tinubu on October 22, 2026, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Ka, the distinction is among the highest honours the institution can award and marks the eighth time the college has conferred the fellowship.

“We are proud to welcome the President into our fellowship in this Golden Jubilee year, and we thank him, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria for hosting this historic gathering in Abuja,” he said.

Ka also disclosed that the college was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to protect delegates, staff and residents of the host community following the Federal Government’s announcement of a confirmed Ebola virus disease case in Nigeria.

He said the precautionary measures included compliance with official public health guidelines, the provision of health screening and hand hygiene stations at venue entrances, and regular updates in line with changing official guidance.

“We urge everyone to rely on official sources and to avoid misinformation,” he added.

The college’s Secretary-General, Musa Dankyau, said West Africa had recorded significant progress in specialist medical training over the past 50 years, although retaining trained professionals remained a major challenge.

He noted that the institution had contributed to developing a pool of medical specialists who could pursue postgraduate training within the region rather than travel abroad.

“Fifty years ago, to have a chance to be trained as a specialist, you had to travel to Europe,” Dankyau said.

He explained that the region now had specialists in fields such as nephrology, paediatric cardiology, gastroenterology, family medicine and community health, many of whom had received their training through regional postgraduate medical institutions.

Established in 1976 by five English-speaking West African countries, the WACP was founded to promote postgraduate medical education and strengthen professional standards across the region. It has since expanded its membership to include English-, French- and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The college currently has six faculties covering community health, family medicine, internal medicine, laboratory medicine, paediatrics and psychiatry. It also has 13 national chapters, with its headquarters in Lagos, and aims to extend its reach to all 15 West African countries.

Ka said the institution had also established partnerships with sister professional bodies, including the West African College of Surgeons, to strengthen medical training and improve healthcare delivery.

Activities lined up for the anniversary include a medical outreach, the unveiling of a 50th anniversary monument, an opening and induction ceremony, scientific presentations, exhibitions and symposia examining the contributions of the college’s six faculties to healthcare development in the region.

The scientific sessions will focus on several critical health issues, including maternal and child health, reproductive healthcare, hospital performance, kidney disease, dementia, mental health and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in medicine.

Galadanci added that recommendations from the scientific sessions would be compiled into a communiqué to support advocacy and engagement with governments and regional institutions.

The meeting is expected to conclude with the college’s annual general meeting, closing ceremony and anniversary dinner.