Lagos Fights Japa With Massive Health Boost
Lagos State has unveiled a comprehensive "Brain Gain" strategy to reverse the massive migration of healthcare professionals—locally known as the "Japa" syndrome—by scaling up its annual health student enrollment capacity from 500 to 3,000 students over the next five years. [1, 2]
The initiative aims to aggressively bridge a critical deficit in the state's medical workforce, as Lagos currently faces a shortage of roughly 30,000 to 33,000 doctors. Currently, only 7,000 doctors serve the state’s massive population, translating to a doctor-to-patient ratio of roughly 1:5,000—well below the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). [1, 2, 3]
Key Components of the Anti-Japa Plan
The Birth of LASUMAH: The state assembly passed a bill to upgrade Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) into the specialized Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences (LASUMAH). [1, 2]
Expanded Enrollment: Admissions will grow to 2,500–3,000 students annually across various medical disciplines, reserving about 1,000 slots specifically for aspiring doctors. [1, 2, 3]
Infrastructure & Facilities: The government repurposed the CACOVID Isolation Centre at Mainland Hospital into an annex providing hundreds of lecture and laboratory seats.
Additionally, 30 General Hospitals, over 300 Primary Healthcare Centres, and 10 Maternal and Child Centres across Lagos's five divisions will serve as clinical training hubs. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Financial & Diaspora Reforms: Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi noted that demand-side financing mechanisms are being introduced to reduce local compensation gaps with international markets. The strategy also actively encourages experienced Nigerian medical practitioners abroad to return. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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