\n\nSeveral states in northern Nigeria are experiencing a serious shortage of medical doctors, forcing many health facilities to rely heavily on community health workers to provide basic healthcare services. The situation was highlighted in the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which found major regional disparities in the availability of doctors and other healthcare professionals across the country. 
According to the report, many northern states fall into the lowest category of doctor availability, with some recording one doctor or fewer per 10,000 people. States such as Yobe, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa have some of the lowest doctor densities in the country, with about 0.5 doctors per 10,000 residents, meaning a single doctor may serve up to 20,000 people. As a result, community health practitioners (CHPs) have become the backbone of healthcare delivery in rural areas and primary health centres. 
The report notes that Nigeria has more than 223,000 licensed community health practitioners, making them the largest professional group in the country’s health workforce. However, the imbalance in the distribution of trained doctors remains a major challenge, particularly in northern states affected by insecurity, poor infrastructure, and migration of healthcare workers abroad. Health experts warn that unless these structural problems are addressed, access to quality healthcare in many rural communities will continue to be severely limited.
