Progress in Emergency Medicine in Nigeria: Where we are in 2025

Abstract

Nigeria is a multiethnic and diverse country classified as a low-and middle-income-country. According to the United Nations, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with an estimated population of 227.9 million in 2025. Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world, with 30.9 % of the population living on <2.15 USD daily. This, coupled with poor governance and weak healthcare regulations, a large proportion of young people (>90 % of the population are under 65 years of age with a median age of 18 years), and a high birth rate, present daunting challenges for the Nigerian healthcare system. Nigeria faces a high burden of trauma and infectious diseases, as well as a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Historically, the emergency care system has been fragmented and poorly organized, and there was no pathway for specialist training in Emergency Medicine for physicians. Emergency Medicine is still in its nascence in Nigeria. In 2019, Emergency Medicine was formally established as a medical speciality by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, and residency training programs were launched in 2022. This step by the national college recognized the need to train emergency care specialists to improve the management of critical patients and positively impact resuscitation outcomes. This is a review of developments in emergency medicine training and the various emergency care systems in Nigeria in recent times. The progress is palpable particularly with the introduction of Emergency Medicine Faculty by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.