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 improve healthcare delivery across the country through the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (DHII) 2026.
The initiative was highlighted during the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration held in Abuja over the weekend with 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 the DHII as a flagship programme aimed at connecting Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad with the country’s health sector.
According to him, the initiative seeks to facilitate knowledge transfer, specialist medical outreach, clinical mentorship, research collaboration, capacity building and health workforce development.
He said the programme was already contributing to improved access to healthcare, better quality of medical services, reduced health inequalities and progress toward universal health coverage.
Enikanolaiye noted that a strong healthcare system is vital to economic growth, national resilience and social stability, adding that the expertise of Nigerians abroad remains a strategic national asset beyond remittances and investments.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to strengthening engagement with Nigerians in the diaspora and commended the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for advancing diaspora-focused initiatives.
In her remarks, Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM had shifted “from policy to impact” since its establishment, citing the approval of the National Diaspora Policy 2021 by the Federal Executive Council as a major milestone.
She disclosed that nearly all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have appointed State Diaspora Focal Point Officers to coordinate diaspora engagement.
The NiDCOM chairman highlighted the DHII’s medical outreach programmes across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, carried out in partnership with diaspora medical associations.
She said the interventions covered maternal and child healthcare, sickle cell screening, emergency surgeries, neurosurgery and other specialist services, while diaspora medical groups had donated medical equipment worth billions of naira to hospitals and primary healthcare centres nationwide.
Dabiri-Erewa also highlighted other initiatives, including the Diaspora Bridge programme, which brings Nigerian academics home for lectures and sabbaticals, and the Silicon Valley Tech Bridge partnership with San José State University to equip young Nigerians with skills in emerging technologies.
She further disclosed that diaspora remittances increased from $17 billion in 2019 to more than $21 billion in 2025.
According to her, NiDCOM will host investment summits in Abuja and Toronto in August and launch a partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in the United Kingdom to provide affordable housing opportunities for Nigerians living abroad.
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