In the last few years, Nigeria has experienced an increased exodus of healthcare workers to the more advanced societies. While some extant literature has shown that this migration trend is rooted in a long-standing socio-historical pattern, the recent spike health workers migration has become alarming and with several known and unknown implications for the country strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 3. In spite of this, few scholarly literature and policy papers have attempted to an analysis of the implications of this current pattern of migration on health care service development and delivery particularly as it implicates the Sustainable Development Goal Number 3. Adopting a neoliberal and globalisingframework, a qualitative discuss approach was utilized to offer an understanding of the compelling variables pushing and pulling Nigerian health workers to seek professional and economic opportunities in advance societies and the implication this has for SDG number 3.

The study reveals that the health workers migration is fuelled by systemic push and pull factors including incessant conflicts between government and healthcare workers unions, non-availability of modern technologies, and a seemingly stifling industrial ecosystem. The authors show that without adequate and serious stakeholders’ interventions, achieving the 2030 SDG 3 targets will become increasingly impossible, necessitating a re-evaluation of the current healthcare development strategy.The paper concludes that immediate actions are required to uphold the mission of SDG 3 in Nigeria. Recommendations include a comprehensive rethinking of the relationship between the government and healthcare practitioners, alongside policy reforms aimed at enhancing working conditions and retention strategies for healthcare workers.