Abstract:

Good health is essential to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. Health care is at its best when health team works together as one. Unfortunately in Nigeria, there is no cohesion in the health team resulting in so much rivalry and labour issues. Currently, Nigeria is among the 57 countries worldwide considered by WHO to experience a critical shortage of health workers. Building a data-driven function across every dimension of HR – from talent acquisition, performance, and workforce planning to workplace policies, employee engagement, and retention – can be complex and challenging. This has turned to be a major issue in the health sector of Nigeria. There is a mass exodus of Nigerian doctors out of Nigeria as a result of poor working conditions, low pay, poor funding, lack of infrastructure and general neglect. This has resulted into loss of talents (brain drifts/loss) to neighbouring countries. Related to the poor motivation of health workers is the problem of brain drain which is a bye product or consequential effects of frustration and job dissatisfaction.  It is against this background that this study assessed the dark-side of talent management in the health sector of Nigeria. The study examined the significance of talent management in a knowledge economy; assessed the war for talent from global perspectives; determined the level of attrition rate in Nigeria’s health sector; identified the factors affecting talent management in the health sector; analysed the role of hr in managing talent in the health sector; and finally gave prospects for talent management in Nigeria’s health sector. This paper also adopted an empirical review to explain and predict issues raised in the study. The study utilized evidences from review of necessary academic literatures, hence, the study concludes by putting forth viable and pragmatic recommendations.