Doctor Wey Japa, Abeg Pack Your Bag Come Back! - Tinubu Beg Nigerian Medics Abroad

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday made a heartfelt appeal to Nigerian doctors and healthcare professionals living abroad, urging them to consider returning home to help rebuild and transform the country’s healthcare system.

The President made the call while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as part of activities marking the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration.

Addressing the delegation led by the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Tinubu said Nigeria needs the knowledge, innovation, experience and patriotism of its highly skilled professionals overseas to strengthen healthcare delivery and build a world-class medical system for citizens.

The President praised the visiting doctors for returning to Nigeria to provide medical outreach services, describing their commitment as a demonstration of patriotism and dedication to humanity.

“It gives me great joy to see Nigerians abroad coming back home to help meet the healthcare needs of our people. Your commitment to humanity reflects the oath you took as medical professionals, and I thank all of you,” Tinubu said.

Drawing from his personal experience, the President noted that he once worked abroad before returning to Nigeria to contribute to national development.

“I have been through that journey. I am home now, and I can tell you there is nowhere like home,” he remarked, urging the professionals to see Nigeria as a place where their expertise can make a lasting impact.

Tinubu reiterated that healthcare remains a major pillar of his Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that his administration is implementing wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving access to quality medical services across the country.

According to him, the Federal Government is investing heavily in medical education, healthcare infrastructure, research, digital health systems and improved welfare for healthcare workers. He added that these efforts are designed to tackle the persistent challenge of brain drain and encourage more Nigerian professionals to return home.

The President acknowledged that many Nigerians abroad have witnessed the realities and challenges of developed countries and can bring valuable experience back home.

“You have seen both sides of the world. You understand the challenges, and now you have come back to help. This is the heart of Africa, and we are working hard to create an environment where Nigerians can thrive and where future generations will proudly call this country their own,” he said.

Tinubu also commended the doctors for conducting medical missions across various regions of the country, including the North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West.

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The outreach programmes provided specialist consultations, surgeries, health education and other life-saving interventions to thousands of Nigerians.

He urged the healthcare professionals to become ambassadors of Nigeria’s renewed optimism by encouraging more of their colleagues abroad to reconnect with the country through investments, partnerships, knowledge-sharing initiatives and, where possible, permanent relocation.

Earlier, NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the visiting medical professionals were determined to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s healthcare sector despite their success abroad.

She explained that many of the doctors were trained in Nigeria and had chosen to return periodically to give back to their homeland through medical services and mentorship.

“Some Nigerians may be leaving the country, but many are also returning with knowledge, expertise and valuable experience to help make Nigeria a better place,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa attributed the growing interest among diaspora professionals to contribute to national development to the confidence inspired by Tinubu’s leadership and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the development as evidence that the administration’s healthcare reforms are attracting attention and support beyond Nigeria’s borders.

According to him, Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad have shown remarkable enthusiasm and readiness to support ongoing reforms in the sector.

Salako disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health would institutionalise the collaboration by making engagements with diaspora healthcare professionals an annual event.

The meeting was attended by top government officials, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare; Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker.

Members of the diaspora medical delegation included Dr. Jide Menakaya, Dr. Kunle Akanbi, Dr. Uche Menakaya, Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti, Dr. Cliff Ike, Prof. Rotimi Jaiyesimi, Dr. Hamid Balogun, Dr. Sadiya Gumi and several other healthcare professionals who have been supporting medical interventions across Nigeria.