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The Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON) has expressed deep concern over the rising insecurity across the country, warning that attacks on health facilities and kidnapping of medical workers were placing unbearable pressure on both practitioners and patients.
The group made the observations in a communiqué issued at the end of its 28th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) in Abuja. The communiqué, dated November 30, was jointly signed by SOFPON president, Dr Blessing Chukwukelu and secretary, Dr Ahmed Jatau Loh.
It urged the Federal Government to prioritise security in all parts of the country to ensure safe and uninterrupted access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural communities.
“The society urges the Federal Government to pay more attention to the security challenges to provide an enabling environment for family physicians and healthcare workers to discharge their responsibilities without fears or intimidations,” the communiqué stated.
The organisation also voiced concerns over what it described as Nigeria’s escalating economic hardship and the deteriorating state of the healthcare system.
To address gaps in health policies and governance, SOFPON recommended that family physicians should be fully integrated into primary healthcare leadership structures and appointed to oversee policy implementation across all levels of care.
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“It is non-negotiable to sacrifice therapeutic standards for financial gains in the current dispensation,” the group stressed, adding that financial resilience had now become a crucial skill for family physicians trying to survive present economic challenges.
It further criticised governments at all levels for what it called a lack of proactive measures to stem the severe brain drain affecting the medical profession. It resolved to intensify national advocacy for equitable remuneration, safety regulations and improved primary healthcare financing under the National Health Insurance framework.
Highlighting growing mental health challenges among doctors, the group said: “Physicians in Nigeria are facing increasing but unique mental health issues due to their profession, including high rates of depression, anxiety and burnout from demanding work hours, stress, exposure to trauma amid the financial constraints.”
It also lamented the underutilisation of family physicians in primary healthcare and policymaking, citing poor integration, inadequate infrastructure, lack of recognition and inconsistent deployment that forces many to fill general staffing gaps instead of leading PHC teams.
To address these concerns, SOFPON resolved to strengthen partnerships between public and private sectors, hospitals and HMOs, as well as practitioners and technology innovators. It is also committed to improving value-based service delivery, promoting mental health and wellness programmes for physicians and advancing telemedicine, digital documentation and group practice networks.
The group pledged to support early-career doctors through mentorship, leadership development and financial literacy training, particularly in light of the country’s economic difficulties. It also reaffirmed its commitment to investing in research and data-driven healthcare to guide decision-making and policy reform.
