The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has disclosed that about 2,000 Nigerian-trained medical doctors are left without housemanship placement every year, citing limited capacity under the current centralized system.
The revelation was made by MDCN Registrar Fatimah Kyari while defending the Council’s 2026 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Health in Abuja.
Housemanship Capacity Below Medical Graduate Output
According to the Council, Nigerian medical schools produce approximately 6,000 doctors annually, but the Centralized Housemanship System can only absorb about 4,000 graduates each year.
This shortfall leaves nearly one-third of new doctors unable to complete their mandatory housemanship, delaying full registration and entry into the workforce.
“A total of about 6,000 medical doctors are produced annually from various medical schools, while the centralized housemanship system in operation can only take 4,000,” Kyari said.
Call to Include State and Private Hospitals
To close the gap, the MDCN urged the Federal Government to expand the Centralized Housemanship System to include state-owned and privately owned hospitals.
Kyari said such an expansion would allow all 6,000 medical graduates to be absorbed annually, eliminating backlogs and training delays.
Brain Drain Concerns Grow
The Registrar warned that persistent housemanship delays were fueling Nigeria’s medical brain drain, as affected graduates increasingly seek training and employment opportunities abroad.
She stressed that timely placement of medical graduates was critical to retaining healthcare professionals and strengthening the health system.
MDCN Raises Funding Shortfalls
Kyari also highlighted funding challenges facing the Council, revealing that no capital funds were released in the 2025 fiscal year, despite an approved ₦1.2 billion capital budget.
She added that:
- Only ₦37.5 million was released from the ₦100 million approved for overhead costs, and
- ₦13.859 billion was released from the ₦16.8 billion allocated for personnel expenses.
Senate Promises Budgetary Support
Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Banigo Ipalibo, assured the MDCN of legislative backing, pledging that the committee would work toward improved funding for the Council in the 2026 budget.
He noted that addressing housemanship bottlenecks and funding gaps was essential to improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
