FG: Diaspora Medical Missions Save Nearly 10,000 Lives, Train Over 2,000 Health Workers

The Federal Government has announced that medical outreach programmes led by Nigerian healthcare professionals living abroad have directly impacted nearly 10,000 people while strengthening the skills of more than 2,000 frontline health workers across the country's six geopolitical zones.

The intervention, carried out through the National Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (NDHII), brought together Nigerian doctors, nurses and other medical specialists in the diaspora to provide specialist consultations, life-saving surgeries, training programmes and healthcare services in underserved communities.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed the achievements during the National Diaspora Merit Award Dinner in Abuja, held as part of the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebrations.

He said the Tinubu administration is pursuing reforms aimed at improving Nigeria's healthcare system and reducing the country's dependence on medical treatment abroad. According to the minister, Nigeria currently loses an estimated ₦4.8 trillion annually to medical tourism and preventable diseases.

Salako explained that the government is working to make it easier for Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad to contribute to the country's health sector. Planned measures include simplified licensing procedures, improved locum arrangements, customs and visa support, as well as greater opportunities for investment in hospitals, diagnostic centres, pharmaceutical production and other healthcare infrastructure.

He added that the Ministry of Health is collaborating with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other stakeholders to remove administrative and regulatory barriers that have discouraged diaspora participation over the years.

According to him, the initiative is also designed to encourage highly skilled Nigerian professionals abroad to reconnect with the country by contributing their expertise and, where possible, returning home to practise permanently.

Salako noted that many Nigerian health workers left the country due to poor remuneration, inadequate welfare, difficult working conditions, limited career advancement opportunities and years of underinvestment in the health sector.

Highlighting the impact of the programme, the minister said diaspora medical teams delivered thousands of consultations, surgeries, specialist procedures and community health interventions in several states across the federation.

Among the participating organisations, the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG) and the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK (NNCA-UK) trained more than 1,000 frontline health workers in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto on safer childbirth practices.

The Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) conducted over 4,000 medical consultations, performed more than 500 surgeries and trained hundreds of healthcare workers and community responders during outreach missions in Enugu, Imo and Abia states.

Other diaspora groups also contributed through specialised training, telemedicine services, advanced surgical procedures, sickle cell screening programmes, family medicine support and diagnostic services in Lagos, Edo, Borno, Gombe, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country.

Salako identified telemedicine, medical research partnerships, technology transfer, equipment donations, diaspora health investment, public-private partnerships and specialist training as priority areas for future collaboration between Nigeria and its healthcare professionals abroad.

He expressed confidence that sustained engagement with the diaspora community would strengthen healthcare delivery, expand access to specialist services and improve health outcomes for Nigerians nationwide.