Diaspora Medical Groups to Train 5,000 Nigerian Health Workers in 2026

Seven Nigerian-led global medical associations have announced a nationwide training programme aimed at strengthening the country’s health workforce, with a target of equipping 5,000 healthcare professionals across all geopolitical zones during the 2026 Diaspora Week slated for July 16–26.

The programme is a joint effort involving ANPA (USA), CANPAD (Canada), MANSAG (UK), ANDA (Australia), NDF South Africa, NMA Germany and the CONSTANMEDICS Foundation, representing a network of more than 50,000 Nigerian doctors working abroad.

Dr. Jideofor Menakaya, a consultant neonatal paediatrician at Hillingdon Hospital in the United Kingdom, disclosed the initiative during the opening of the 66th National Council on Health meeting in Calabar. He said the training plan aligns with the federal government’s new framework designed to boost collaboration between local institutions and Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora.

According to him, the programme, first unveiled at a global health partnership conference earlier in 2025, was developed with the support of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the Nigerian Medical Association, and state health ministries.

The various associations will deliver region-specific training, including medical leadership, maternal and neonatal care, sickle cell disease management, emergency medicine, ultrasound diagnostics, women’s reproductive health, and advanced surgical procedures. Each zone will receive specialised modules tailored to its most pressing health challenges.

CANPAD will focus on leadership development in the Federal Capital Territory, while MANSAG will train 1,000 health workers in the North-West to reduce maternal and newborn deaths. The Concerned Medics Foundation plans to train about 2,000 workers in the North-East on sickle cell management.

In the North-Central zone, NMA Germany will run cardiology and point-of-care ultrasound sessions. ANPA will train 1,000 professionals in the South-East on emergency life support and chronic disease management. ANDA will equip 200 specialists in the South-South with new diagnostic skills for endometriosis, and NDF South Africa will train 300 specialists in the South-West on interventional radiology, neurosurgery and gastro-endoscopy.

Dr. Menakaya said the initiative is designed to improve patient outcomes, unify clinical standards and help curb the ongoing loss of medical talent by creating stronger professional ties between Nigeria and its diaspora community. He urged government institutions, NGOs and international partners to back the programme to ensure long-term sustainability.The National Council on Health, established in 1961, remains the country’s top policy coordination body for the health sector.