President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian medical doctors and other healthcare professionals living abroad to return home and contribute their expertise to ongoing efforts to transform the country’s healthcare system under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President made the appeal on Friday while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide at the State House in Abuja as part of activities marking the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration. The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Tinubu said Nigeria requires the skills, innovation and experience of its medical professionals overseas to build a stronger and more resilient healthcare system capable of meeting the needs of its growing population.
He commended members of the delegation for returning to Nigeria to participate in medical outreach programmes, describing their commitment to providing healthcare services as a demonstration of patriotism and dedication to humanity.
Reflecting on his own career journey, the President recalled returning to Nigeria after working with international firms, saying his decision was driven by a desire to contribute to national development. He urged the visiting professionals to consider making similar commitments to their homeland.
Tinubu reiterated that healthcare remains a key pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that his administration is pursuing reforms aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, expanding access to quality medical services and creating an environment that encourages skilled Nigerians abroad to return.
According to him, the government is investing in medical education, research, digital health infrastructure and improved welfare for healthcare workers, while implementing policies designed to reduce the migration of skilled professionals.
The President acknowledged that many Nigerian professionals abroad have gained valuable international experience and encouraged them to channel that knowledge into improving healthcare delivery and national development.
He also praised the delegation for conducting medical outreach programmes across various regions of the country, providing specialist consultations, surgeries, health education and other medical services to thousands of Nigerians.
Tinubu urged the diaspora professionals to serve as ambassadors for Nigeria by encouraging more healthcare workers abroad to reconnect with the country through partnerships, investments, knowledge sharing and, where possible, permanent return.
Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa said members of the delegation were committed to supporting the Federal Government’s healthcare reform agenda by contributing their expertise and experience to improve medical services across the country.
She noted that many of the professionals were trained in Nigeria before building successful careers overseas and expressed their willingness to give back by participating in healthcare initiatives at home.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the growing involvement of Nigerian healthcare professionals in the diaspora reflected confidence in the administration’s healthcare reforms.
He described the visiting medical experts as highly motivated professionals eager to contribute to the country’s development and announced that collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and diaspora medical associations would become an annual initiative.
The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, senior presidential aides and representatives of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide.
