Nigeria Taps Into Global Talent With New Diaspora Health Initiative

In a bid to bolster the nation's healthcare system, the federal government has unveiled a novel programme designed to leverage the expertise of Nigerian health professionals residing abroad. According to Prof. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigerians in Diaspora Advance Health Programme (NiDAH-P) aims to foster collaboration between diaspora health experts and local institutions, thereby enhancing the quality of healthcare services in the country's tertiary health institutions. The initiative, which kicked off with 19 federal tertiary health institutions, will be implemented in three phases: foundation and setup, pilot implementation, and scale-up and evaluation. Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachallom, noted that while Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora have been contributing to the improvement of the health sector, there was a lack of coordination, which often resulted in minimal impact. He emphasized that NiDAH-P seeks to address this challenge by providing a national mechanism that connects the commitment of diaspora health professionals to institutional priorities, supporting sustained collaboration, and enabling the measurement of impact over time. The programme is scheduled to commence the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative on July 25, in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), as part of National Diaspora Day 2026. Dr. Nwakaego Chukwukaodinaka, a Director at the ministry, explained that the initiative will connect diaspora doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals with Nigerian health institutions through short-term clinical placements, sabbatical engagements, and virtual mentorship. This will enable direct patient care, capacity building, and skills transfer in priority special areas. The scheme will operate through a digital portal that registers, verifies, and matches diaspora volunteers with facility needs, supported by a real-time dashboard for coordination and oversight. The Representative of NIDCOM assured that the commission is ready to manage the migration of health workers, with the goal of turning brain drain into brain gain for Nigeria. The Chairman of the Guide of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary hospitals, Prof. Sahad Ahmed, also expressed the readiness of the hospital management to ensure the success of NiDAH-P.