The Federal Government has launched the Nigerians in Diaspora Advanced Health Programme (NiDAH-P) and its digital portal to connect Nigerian health professionals living abroad with the country’s healthcare system.
Unveiling the initiative in Abuja, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and other stakeholders, is designed to help address the shortage of healthcare workers by enabling professionals in the diaspora to contribute their expertise through both physical and virtual engagements.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Daju Kachollom, Pate said the programme would create a structured platform for Nigerian doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals overseas to support healthcare delivery, medical education, specialist services and research in Nigeria.
He said the initiative reflects the government’s determination to move beyond lamenting the migration of skilled health workers and instead create lasting opportunities for them to contribute to national development.
“What we are doing today is not merely launching a programme or a portal; we are making a statement that Nigeria is ready to move beyond lamenting the departure of our health professionals and is now committed to building the structures that will bring their expertise back in a meaningful, coordinated and sustainable way,” he said.
The minister noted that although many Nigerian healthcare professionals continue to excel in leading institutions across the world, the country has continued to grapple with shortages of skilled personnel.
According to him, NiDAH-P was developed after years of policy work and stakeholder consultations that began in 2016, drawing lessons from countries such as the Philippines, India, Rwanda and Egypt, where diaspora engagement has strengthened healthcare systems.
Pate added that the programme would also activate existing agreements between the ministry and several diaspora medical organisations, including the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG), the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), the Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists (CANPAD), the Nigerian Medical Association Germany, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA), and the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK.
He disclosed that the NiDAH digital portal was developed with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Lafiya Programme, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). “The NiDA portal has been developed and tested. It is ready, and today we open it to the world,” he said.
Pate commended NiDCOM, the ministry’s Public Private Partnership and Diaspora Unit, and development partners for supporting the initiative from conception to implementation.
Speaking on behalf of NiDCOM Chairman, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the commission’s Secretary, Dr Yakubu Bassi, described the programme as a practical step towards transforming brain drain into brain gain and brain circulation in Nigeria’s health sector.
She noted that the initiative had been in development for nearly a decade and invited stakeholders to participate in the National Diaspora Day activities scheduled for July 24 and 25 in Abuja, where healthcare development will be a major focus.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Prof. Fatima Kyari, said Nigerian-trained doctors have continued to earn global recognition for their competence and professionalism, adding that many are eager to give back to the country.
She stressed that any doctor providing healthcare services to Nigerians, whether physically or virtually, must be registered with the council to ensure patient safety.
The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof. Saad Ahmed, said structured collaboration with diaspora professionals had already produced positive results, citing the successful open-heart surgery programme at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, as an example.
He expressed confidence that the programme’s rollout across 19 federal tertiary hospitals would produce measurable results within a year.
Also speaking, WHO representative Mary Brento, speaking on behalf of Country Representative Dr Pavel Ursu, said Nigeria continues to face a shortage of skilled health workers due to migration.
She reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in strengthening its health workforce and advancing universal health coverage through strategic partnerships such as NiDAH-P.