Nigeria moves to deploy diaspora doctors nationwide

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has unveiled an ambitious nationwide health programme that will deploy diaspora medical experts across multiple states in July 2026, in what officials describe as a coordinated effort to translate overseas expertise into measurable impact at home.

Announcing the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (DHII) 2026 in Abuja, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the programme is designed to bring healthcare closer to underserved communities in all six geo-political zones.

“DHII 2026 is a structured national health intervention platform designed to harness the skills, expertise, innovation and commitment of Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes across Nigeria.”

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The initiative is scheduled to run in the week preceding National Diaspora Day, observed every July 25, and will focus on targeted specialist interventions, capacity building and long-term institutional partnerships rather than short-term medical missions.

Dabiri-Erewa noted that while diaspora remittances to Nigeria exceed $20 billion annually, the intellectual and professional capital of Nigerian doctors abroad remains an underutilised national asset.

“Beyond financial remittances, their knowledge transfer, specialist care, mentorship and systems expertise represent a powerful tool for national health transformation,” she said.

She explained that DHII 2026 would consolidate ongoing diaspora engagement efforts under a coordinated framework aligned with national and state-level health priorities, particularly in underserved communities.

According to her, the programme aims to strengthen specialist service delivery, improve access to quality healthcare, enhance clinical governance and leadership, promote innovative medical technologies, and generate evidence-based data to inform national health policy reforms.

Implementation will be carried out in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigerian Medical Association, and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

Seven diaspora medical associations from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and South Africa have been assigned to specific states for interventions between July 20 and 23, 2026. These include advanced specialist lectures, maternal and newborn care, sickle cell screening, women’s health services, interventional radiology, neurosurgery and health systems strengthening.

Dabiri-Erewa said the initiative would be officially flagged off in Abuja at the start of Diaspora Week 2026, after which medical teams would deploy to their designated states in partnership with state governments and local health institutions.

She expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his “consistent support for diaspora engagement as a strategic pillar in our foreign policy agenda for national development,” and commended federal ministries, state governments, professional bodies, development partners, the private sector and the media for their collaboration.

Calling on more Nigerian health professionals abroad to participate, she said, “Let DHII 2026 be remembered as a pioneering coordinated national effort where diaspora expertise translated into measurable health impact.”

Also speaking at the briefing, President of the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain, Dr. Jide Menakaya, described the programme as inclusive and multidisciplinary.

“It’s a national effort, everybody is included. Every healthcare professional, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others, all have a role to play.”

Menakaya stressed that maternal and newborn care interventions planned for northern states would depend heavily on nurses and midwives. “Yes, doctors play a role, but certainly for us in the North, we’re doing maternal and newborn care. Midwives and nurses are crucial to that. Everybody can see a role for them,” he added.

While acknowledging logistical limitations, he encouraged professionals across the country to engage with the initiative through appropriate clinical networks.

“If they find that a particular project is relevant to them, then they can touch base through the appropriate clinical needs channels to see how they can get involved. Everybody is welcome.”

He emphasised that the collaboration among the seven diaspora associations would extend beyond 2026.

“The key aspect of the work we’re doing collectively is that we continue to build on this moving forward. We expect outreach, but more importantly, we are building something sustainable.”