NIGERIA MARKS 2026 DIASPORA DAY, UNVEILS INITIATIVE TO ENGAGE 50,000 DIASPORA DOCTORS

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By ‘Jide Oyatoye

ABUJA — The Federal Government has unveiled the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (DHII) 2026, an ambitious programme aimed at engaging more than 50,000 Nigerian doctors and thousands of other healthcare professionals in the diaspora to strengthen the country’s health sector.

The initiative was unveiled on Friday during the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The event was held under the theme, “Harnessing Global Diaspora Expertise to Strengthen Local Health Systems for National Development.”

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, described the DHII as a flagship intervention designed to harness 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 the minister, the initiative is already improving access to healthcare, enhancing service delivery, reducing health disparities and advancing universal health coverage across the country.

He described Nigerians in the diaspora as one of the country’s most strategic assets, saying they serve as a bridge for diplomacy, technology transfer and global partnerships beyond remittances and investment.

Enikanolaiye reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to strengthening ties with Nigerians abroad and commended the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), led by its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for advancing diaspora engagement through impactful initiatives.

In her address, Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM had moved “from policy to impact” since 2019, 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.

The NiDCOM boss also announced progress on the National Diaspora Database, developed in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission, and encouraged Nigerians abroad to register.

Highlighting achievements under the DHII, she 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.

According to her, diaspora medical organisations have equipped hospitals and primary healthcare centres with equipment worth billions of naira, while the Diaspora Bridge Programme has continued to facilitate lectures and sabbaticals by Nigerian academics abroad.

Dabiri-Erewa further announced a Silicon Valley Tech Bridge partnership with San José State University to train young Nigerians in emerging technologies.

She revealed that diaspora remittances increased from $17 billion in 2019 to over $21 billion in 2025, while investment summits have been scheduled for Abuja and Toronto in August.

She also 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.

The NiDCOM chairman recalled the contributions of Nigerians abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, floods and humanitarian crises, as well as the commission’s evacuation of distressed Nigerians from Sudan, Ukraine, Libya and South Africa.

She disclosed that NiDCOM had also intervened in more than 1,200 cases involving detained or mistreated Nigerians abroad and appealed to the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the diaspora voting bill.

Looking ahead, Dabiri-Erewa announced plans to establish a Diaspora Investment Fund and a National Diaspora Health Corps aimed at engaging 1,000 diaspora health professionals annually.

She thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting diaspora engagement, describing Nigerians abroad as “our Ambassadors at large” who are building hospitals, training doctors and promoting Nigeria’s image globally.

“We are one nation, one people. The journey continues and the best is yet to come,” she said.