The Federal Government has unveiled plans to leverage the expertise of more than 50,000 Nigerian doctors and thousands of other healthcare professionals in the diaspora to strengthen the country’s health system through the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative 2026.
The initiative took centre stage at the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Friday in Abuja, under the theme, “Harnessing Global Diaspora Expertise to Strengthen Local Health Systems for National Development.”
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, described Nigeria’s diaspora as one of the country’s greatest strategic assets, saying the government was determined to harness its expertise beyond remittances and investment.
He said the DHII was designed to leverage the expertise, innovation and professional networks of Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad through knowledge transfer, specialist medical outreach, capacity building, clinical mentorship, research collaboration and health workforce development.
According to him, the interventions are already improving healthcare access, enhancing service quality, reducing health disparities and advancing universal health coverage across the country.
Enikanolaiye said, “The diaspora remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic assets, serving as a bridge for diplomacy, technology transfer and global partnership well beyond remittances and investment.”
He added that strong health systems were essential for economic growth, social stability and national resilience, noting that connecting global Nigerian medical expertise with local healthcare needs would help build a healthier and more prosperous nation.
The minister also reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to strengthening ties with Nigerians abroad and commended the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the commission’s management for advancing diaspora engagement through initiatives such as the DHII.
In her address, Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM had moved “from policy to impact” since its establishment, adding that Nigerians in the diaspora now have a stronger voice in government.
She disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the National Diaspora Policy 2021, while almost all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had appointed State Diaspora Focal Point Officers to coordinate diaspora affairs.
She also announced progress on the National Diaspora Database, developed in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission, and urged Nigerians abroad to register their profiles.
Highlighting achievements under the DHII, Dabiri-Erewa said diaspora physician associations had conducted medical missions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, providing specialist services in maternal and child healthcare, sickle cell screening, emergency surgery and neurosurgery.
She added that diaspora medical groups had equipped hospitals and primary healthcare centres with medical equipment worth billions of naira, while the Diaspora Bridge Programme continued to bring academics home for lectures and sabbaticals.
The NiDCOM boss also announced a new Silicon Valley Tech Bridge partnership with San José State University to train young Nigerians in emerging technologies.
On the economic front, she revealed that diaspora remittances increased from $17bn in 2019 to more than $21bn in 2025, while investment summits had been scheduled for Abuja and Toronto in August.
She further announced a partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to provide affordable housing opportunities for Nigerians in the diaspora, with the initiative set to be launched in the United Kingdom next month.
Dabiri-Erewa also recalled the role played by Nigerians abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, floods and humanitarian crises, as well as NiDCOM’s coordination of the evacuation of distressed Nigerians from Sudan, Ukraine, Libya and South Africa.
She said the commission had also intervened in more than 1,200 cases involving detained or mistreated Nigerians abroad and commended diaspora advocates for supporting the rescue of trafficking victims, including the recent return of a Nigerian girl trafficked to Cairo, Egypt.
The NiDCOM chairman appealed to the National Assembly to expedite consideration and passage of the diaspora voting bill to enable Nigerians abroad to participate in elections.
She disclosed that over the past four years, the commission had honoured 91 Nigerians abroad with Diaspora Excellence and National Diaspora Merit Awards for outstanding contributions in science, healthcare, sports and humanitarian service.
Looking ahead, she announced plans to establish a Diaspora Investment Fund and a National Diaspora Health Corps aimed at engaging 1,000 diaspora health professionals annually.
Expressing appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting diaspora engagement, Dabiri-Erewa described Nigerians abroad as “our ambassadors at large,” adding that they were building hospitals, training doctors and projecting a positive image of Nigeria across the world.
“We are one nation, one people. The journey continues and the best is yet to come,” she said.
