Profile and determinants of intention to migrate by early career doctors in Nigeria: A report from CHARTING study

Introduction Recently, there has been an upsurge in the migration of medical personnel, especially early career doctors (ECDs) from low‐ and middle‐income countries, Nigeria inclusive, to high‐income countries with wide‐ranging consequences on the social and economic systems of the donor countries. This study assessed the profile and determinants of intention to emigrate by ECDs in Nigeria. Methods A cross‐sectional study conducted among Nigerian ECDs from nine tertiary hospitals. Socio‐demographic characteristics, intention & reasons to emigrate and willingness to return were collected using a self‐administered semi‐structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results A total number of 763 ECDs participated in the study. The majority (88.2%) were less than 40 years of age and the male to female ratio was 2:1. Majority of the participants (69.4%) received monthly income ≤833 US Dollar. About two‐thirds of ECDs had plans to emigrate and most to developed countries. Common reasons for intention to migrate were better quality of postgraduate training, improved quality of life and better remuneration. Conclusion High proportion of Nigerian ECDs has intention to emigrate out with potential adverse effect on the fragile health system in the country. Highlights A large proportion early career doctors in Nigeria have plans to emigrate to developed countries with more physician density compared to those intending to stay. The major reasons for intention to migrate are improved workplace, quality of training and economic reasons. Most willing to stay back in Nigeria are due to family ties and patriotic reasons. These comprehensive study demonstrated potential negative impact on the human resources for health in the largest country in sub‐Saharan Africa.