Tinubu calls on Nigerian doctors abroad, other medical professionals to return home

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerian medical doctors and healthcare professionals practicing abroad to return home, emphasizing that their skills, experience, and global expertise are vital to transforming the nation's fragile health sector.

Speaking at the State House in Abuja during an audience with a delegation from the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide, President Tinubu assured medical expatriates that his administration is actively laying the foundation for a resilient, modern healthcare system under his Renewed Hope Agenda. The meeting took place in connection with the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebrations.

"It is a very great joy to see that you are coming back to facilitate your single motivation to help your country meet the needs of our people," Tinubu said, praising the diaspora professionals for their dedication to medical outreaches across Nigeria. Drawing from his own years of studying and working in the United States before returning to enter public service in Nigeria, the President shared a personal reflection: "I have been through that journey. I’m home now, and I can tell you there’s nowhere like home. Some people built the society where you are; they had their hands on the plough, their focus was to develop their nation."

He urged visiting medical professionals to act as ambassadors of optimism and persuade colleagues remaining overseas to reconnect with their homeland through investments, partnerships, knowledge transfers, or permanent return.

The call comes at a critical juncture for Nigeria's health system, which has been severely battered by the persistent exodus of medical talent a phenomenon locally dubbed the "Japa" wave. Over the past decade, thousands of doctors, nurses, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists have migrated to Europe, North America, and the Middle East in search of competitive remuneration, state-of-the-art facilities, and better working environments. According to data from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigeria retains fewer than 40,000 practicing doctors for a population exceeding 220 million, leaving the physician-to-patient ratio dangerously below the World Health Organization’s recommended threshold of one doctor per 600 citizens.

Acknowledging these structural weaknesses, President Tinubu highlighted that poverty and inadequate infrastructure remain major hurdles across the African continent. However, he insisted that Nigeria possesses the human and material potential to overcome these obstacles if skilled professionals unite behind national reform efforts.

The President reaffirmed that healthcare reforms remain central to national economic development. He pledged sustained federal investments targeted at primary healthcare revitalisation, digital health infrastructure, medical research, clinical training, and improved welfare packages designed to counter the factors driving brain drain.

"The best way to demonstrate my commitment to you is to commit myself to my agenda, the Renewed Hope, so that the hope of Nigerians of having a better environment, better education, development, and prosperity can be realized," Tinubu noted.

The visiting delegation was led by the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, alongside senior administration officials, including the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, and Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas.

President Tinubu commended the diaspora association for organizing extensive medical missions across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, including the North-East, North-West, South-East, and South-West. These voluntary outreaches provided specialized surgical procedures, diagnostic consultations, and essential medications to thousands of underserved citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Dabiri-Erewa noted that despite building successful careers abroad, many diaspora medical professionals retain an abiding commitment to give back to Nigeria. She noted that NiDCOM continues to establish institutional frameworks to make diaspora engagement seamless, enabling experts to contribute to local capacity building without administrative bottlenecks.

"Some of our people are leaving, but they are also coming back with knowledge, innovation, and expertise to make Nigeria a better place," Dabiri-Erewa said. "What we are seeing demonstrates that even Nigerians outside the country are eager to play an active role in rebuilding the health sector."

While health sector stakeholders have welcomed the President’s vocal encouragement, policy analysts emphasize that encouraging permanent return will require swift execution of promised welfare reforms, enhanced workplace security, competitive pay scales, and continuous equipment upgrades in public hospitals nationwide.