ACCRA. Ghana is now sending nurses abroad under government agreements, in what could become a model for other African countries with many unemployed nurses. At the same time it is promising to hire 16,500 health professionals at home.
Where Ghanaian nurses are going
| Destination | What’s happened | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Grenada | 61 nurses left on 13 October 2026 under Ghana’s Labour Exchange Programme | Two-year contracts |
| Jamaica | First cohort of 43 specialist nurses arrived in September, including two at the University Hospital of the West Indies | Four-year bilateral health agreement signed in May 2026 |
| Columbus, Ohio (US) | Memorandum of understanding signed on 14 September 2026 with Mayor Andrew Ginther | Framework only: no numbers, employers or pay announced yet |
Seeing off the Grenada group, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah told the nurses that their qualifications open doors, but “your character will determine how long the door will keep opening”.
Too many nurses, or too few?
- Ghana’s Health Minister says more than 100,000 trained health professionals were unemployed at the end of 2025. This is a ministry figure that has not been independently verified.
- Ghana is also on the WHO health workforce safeguards list, which discourages active recruitment from countries with critical shortages. The list is voluntary and does not bar government-to-government deals.
- The government says it will restrict departures in the most understaffed specialties, but has not published which ones.
- At home, it plans to recruit 16,500 health professionals in 2026 and says financial clearance has been secured so new staff will be paid. How many of these posts are for nurses has not been announced.
If you’re a Ghanaian nurse thinking of going
- Use official channels only: the Ministry of Labour’s Labour Exchange Programme and Ministry of Health announcements. Never pay an agent for a “slot”.
- Keep your PIN active and request verification early. See our N&MC Ghana guide.
- For the US route, you will still need to pass the NCLEX and get a state licence. See our US licensure guide for international nurses.
Sources: Ghanaian Times (14 October 2026); Jamaica Observer (13 October 2026); The Rio Times (16 September 2026); GhanaWeb (10 October 2026).