.Tinubu moves to harness diaspora expertise for healthcare reforms
By Folarin Kehinde
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Friday called on the Federal Government to demand compensation for Nigerians who were forced to abandon their jobs, businesses and property in South Africa before returning home.
Speaking at the 2026 National Diaspora Day Celebration, NiDCOM Youth Summit and National Diaspora Merit Award in Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa described the ordeal of the affected Nigerians as pathetic, insisting that Nigeria should not ignore their plight.
“That South Africa thing is pathetic, really. Nigeria should not look the other way. We must demand compensation for Nigerians who have been roughly treated and who had to leave everything.
“They had jobs. They left everything they ever owned, and they’re back home and I know that their lives will be better as they’re back in Nigeria,” she said.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa also disclosed that NiDCOM’s legal department has handled more than 1,200 cases involving detention, abuse and other forms of maltreatment of Nigerians abroad in collaboration with the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She said many of the cases had been successfully resolved through diplomatic engagements and legal interventions, noting that the Commission remained committed to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to harnessing the expertise of Nigerian professionals in the diaspora to address challenges in the country’s healthcare system.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President acknowledged that Nigeria continues to grapple with inadequate healthcare infrastructure, shortages of skilled medical personnel, gaps in research and specialised care, as well as policy inconsistencies.
“We know the challenges our healthcare system faces. Inadequate infrastructure in many communities, shortages of skilled medical personnel, gaps in research, innovation and specialised care, policy inconsistency, and so on. These challenges are not insurmountable.
With the collective strength of our diaspora, we can transform them into opportunities. Our administration is determined to build bridges between diaspora expertise and local institutions,” he said.
Tinubu said the Federal Government would institutionalise the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative, expand diaspora medical missions across the country, strengthen partnerships between diaspora professionals and Nigerian teaching hospitals, leverage telemedicine, encourage diaspora-led investments in hospitals and research centres, and introduce incentives for medical professionals abroad willing to return home to practise or invest.
He urged Nigerians in the diaspora to continue contributing to national development, saying their expertise remained critical to building a resilient and world-class healthcare system.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako said the enthusiastic participation of Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad in the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative had demonstrated the success of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the initiative had attracted surgeons, infectious disease specialists, gynaecologists, specialist nurses, pharmacists and other health experts from across the world to provide free medical services, perform complex procedures, train local healthcare workers and strengthen healthcare delivery across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to him, the Federal Government is also implementing policies to address the migration of health workers by improving their welfare, including the approval of new allowances for health workers, while creating digital platforms to enable Nigerian professionals abroad to contribute to the development of the country’s health sector.
He added that government remained committed to sustaining the collaboration with the Nigerian diaspora to improve healthcare delivery and achieve better health outcomes for all Nigerians.
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