@article{10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12,
  author = {Olumayowa Adeleke Idowu},
  title = {The Nexus of Health Workers’ Incentives, Health Workers’ Migration and Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Development, 1999 – 2023: An Analytical Review
},
  journal = {International Journal of Health Economics and Policy},
  volume = {10},
  number = {2},
  pages = {36-42},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hep.20251002.12},
  abstract = {Like education, investment in healthcare is critical to every economy’s human capital development, because human capital development serves as the bedrock of economic growth and development. This view is supported by theories and empirical studies. Nigeria’s participation in the previous United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also attests to this. The attainment of SDGs number 3, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and number 4, ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, is very important to the attainment of the remaining goals. Despite this obvious importance of investment in health and education to Nigeria’s sustainable economic development, the political leaders have not lived up to electorates’ expectations in terms of their campaign promises, words, actions and policies in providing adequate budgetary allocations for health and education. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an analytical review of investment in health through the lens of health workers’ incentives, the influence of inadequate incentives on health workers’ migration, and the consequences of these on Nigeria’s economic development from 1999, when Nigeria returned to civil rule until 2023 when the last administration handed over power to the incumbent government. A thorough search of Google Scholar for studies, and web search of media reports on Nigeria’s healthcare expenditure, economic growth, health workers’ incentives, strike actions, and migration from 1999 – 2023 was conducted, and available studies and reports were analyzed. The results show that from May 1999 to May 2023, the total number of days that health workers in Nigeria have embarked on industrial strike due to poor incentives was 319 days (about 10 and a half months). The regular health workers’ incentives which are usually responsible for the strike actions include salary structures, payment of arrears, welfare packages, quality of hospital equipment, funding for training programs, working conditions, and other incentive or welfare-related factors. Poor incentives have not only necessitated incessant industrial actions but have also promoted mass migration of Nigeria health workers, and other outcomes, all serving as mediating factors of the relationship between health workers’ incentives and economic development. Overall, Nigeria has lost and is losing certain percent of its productive workforce, and this undermines its economic development.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Nexus of Health Workers’ Incentives, Health Workers’ Migration and Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Development, 1999 – 2023: An Analytical Review

AU  - Olumayowa Adeleke Idowu
Y1  - 2025/04/28
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12
T2  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JF  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JO  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
SP  - 36
EP  - 42
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9309
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20251002.12
AB  - Like education, investment in healthcare is critical to every economy’s human capital development, because human capital development serves as the bedrock of economic growth and development. This view is supported by theories and empirical studies. Nigeria’s participation in the previous United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also attests to this. The attainment of SDGs number 3, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and number 4, ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, is very important to the attainment of the remaining goals. Despite this obvious importance of investment in health and education to Nigeria’s sustainable economic development, the political leaders have not lived up to electorates’ expectations in terms of their campaign promises, words, actions and policies in providing adequate budgetary allocations for health and education. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an analytical review of investment in health through the lens of health workers’ incentives, the influence of inadequate incentives on health workers’ migration, and the consequences of these on Nigeria’s economic development from 1999, when Nigeria returned to civil rule until 2023 when the last administration handed over power to the incumbent government. A thorough search of Google Scholar for studies, and web search of media reports on Nigeria’s healthcare expenditure, economic growth, health workers’ incentives, strike actions, and migration from 1999 – 2023 was conducted, and available studies and reports were analyzed. The results show that from May 1999 to May 2023, the total number of days that health workers in Nigeria have embarked on industrial strike due to poor incentives was 319 days (about 10 and a half months). The regular health workers’ incentives which are usually responsible for the strike actions include salary structures, payment of arrears, welfare packages, quality of hospital equipment, funding for training programs, working conditions, and other incentive or welfare-related factors. Poor incentives have not only necessitated incessant industrial actions but have also promoted mass migration of Nigeria health workers, and other outcomes, all serving as mediating factors of the relationship between health workers’ incentives and economic development. Overall, Nigeria has lost and is losing certain percent of its productive workforce, and this undermines its economic development.

VL  - 10
IS  - 2
ER  - 

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