Come home, the kids miss you

Nigeria hopes to attract out-of-country doctors with new policy and incentives

Aug 14, 2024

Good morning, Big Brains. The universe decided to mess with me after I wrote about the joys of adulting yesterday. Guess who forgot to store their food in the freezer and woke up to a pot of spoilt stew? Damn right, me. I’m aware that this is TMI but I refuse to suffer in silence. Don’t worry, you won’t sense my frustration in today’s edition.

- Margaret

Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins

Let’s get into today’s edition:

Tinubu approves new policy to improve worsening doctor-patient ratio
Police transfer 76 Russian flag-wavers to Abuja for sedition
Former Bangladesh PM faces murder investigation

The Big Deal

Tinubu approves new policy to improve worsening doctor-patient ratio

Big Brains, it appears that President Tinubu has started giving two shits about Nigerian doctors. Remember how we mentioned that the doctor-patient ratio is now about 1 doctor to 10,000 people? The president has implemented a new policy to try to fix that.

The federal government believes the “japa wave” is responsible for the crazily unbalanced doctor-patient ratio. They’ve designed the new policy to control the wave by offering doctors a better life in the country. They also hope the newly introduced incentives will send a “come back home” message to the Nigerian doctors who moved abroad in search of a better life.

The policy acknowledges the need for a good work-life balance and includes nice must-haves like regular health checks, mental health support, and manageable working hours, especially for younger doctors.

Why is this a big deal?

Nigeria currently has 99,999 problems, and the doctor-patient ratio is among the top three. As a nation, we’re high-key cooked in the health sector.

UNICEF reports that 1 in 3 Nigerian children under five faces severe food poverty, doubling their risk of life-threatening malnutrition. This shows that there’s an urgent need for medical care, as both kids and adults are more vulnerable to illness than ever before.

It’s delusional to assume that this new policy will fix our health sector completely and keep our doctors in the country but it's definitely a start.

Police transfer 76 Russian flag-wavers to Abuja for sedition

The #EndBadGovernance protests are over but the details of the Russian flag wavers are still unfolding. Last week, we reported that Russia has distanced itself from the questionable display. Now, 76 people, including one non-Nigerian, have been arrested as suspects of the crime that FG has labeled treason.

Kano State Police Commissioner, Salman Garba, also confirmed that the total number of arrests made during the protest is 873 arrests. These people have now been sent to Abuja for further questioning.

Garba added that 150 people were also arrested for breaking curfew, and six more for looting and destroying the Kano Printing Press.

Another set of suspects, who are 600 in total, are being prosecuted for everything from theft to arson and some interesting loot, including two AK-47s, have allegedly been recovered from them.

But it’s not all chaos and violence, the police has also managed to catch some suspected kidnappers, robbers, and car thieves. On a brighter note, Governor Abba Yusuf has called off the curfew that was imposed after the protests, so things are finally cooling down in Kano.

Former Bangladesh PM faces murder investigation

Time has proven that Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, can run but she cannot hide from the law.

Last month, student protesters took to the streets to protest against civil service job quotas. What started as a focused demand grew into a bigger challenge for the government.

Under Hasina's 15-year rule, accusations of human rights abuses and corruption raised questions about her administration. In response to the growing protests, Hasina labeled the demonstrators "terrorists" and asked the police to crack down hard, leading to over 400 deaths, many from police gunfire on her orders.

Facing crazy pressure, Hasina resigned and fled to India earlier this month. But her troubles are still far from over. A murder investigation has just been launched into her role in the police killing of a protester.

Lawyer Mamun Mia filed the case, and the court in Dhaka has ordered police to proceed with it. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has a new government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and several other leaders who were also part of the protests.

This Week’s Big Question

“If could get a nepo-advantage to become an Olympian, what sport would you play?”

Anna’s response - “I’d go for curling. It’s basically sweeping ice with a broom—how hard can it be? Plus, I’d get to wear those cool matching outfits!”

You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Anna’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.

The Big Picks

Tinubu Approves 300% Salary Increase For Judicial Officials: President Bola Tinubu has approved a bill that triples the salaries and allowances for judicial officials.

Each Senator Earns ₦1m Per Month, Says Revenue Commission: The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) reports that each of the 109 senators in the red chamber receives ₦1,063,860 monthly in salary and allowances.

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