Diaspora Health Missions Contact 10,000 Nigerians, Tinubu’s Reforms Driving Renewed Confidence — Salako

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The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has mentioned Nigerian healthcare professionals within the diaspora immediately impacted practically 10,000 lives and skilled greater than 2,000 frontline health staff throughout the 2026 Nigeria Diaspora Health Influence Initiative (NDHII), describing the intervention as a testomony to rising confidence within the Federal Government’s health sector reforms.

Talking on the Nationwide Diaspora Benefit Award and shutting ceremony of the 2026 Diaspora Health Influence Initiative held on the Banquet Corridor of the State House, Abuja, on Saturday, Salako mentioned the medical missions demonstrated that the Nigerian diaspora stays a strategic accomplice in strengthening the nation’s healthcare system.

The minister mentioned medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory scientists and different healthcare professionals from diaspora organisations throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, South Africa and america returned to Nigeria to supply specialist medical companies, conduct surgical procedures, mentor healthcare staff and introduce superior medical practices throughout the six geopolitical zones.

In accordance with him, the groups have been deployed to hospitals and first healthcare amenities in Lagos, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Nasarawa, Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory, the place they delivered specialised healthcare interventions and capacity-building programmes.

Salako disclosed that in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto, specialists from the Medical Affiliation of Nigerians Throughout Nice Britain and the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Affiliation UK skilled over 1,000 frontline health staff within the Safer Births Bundle of Care, an evidence-based maternal healthcare strategy extensively adopted within the United Kingdom.

He added that in Enugu, Imo and Abia, members of the Affiliation of Nigerian Physicians within the Americas carried out about 4,000 medical consultations, carried out greater than 500 surgical procedures, skilled 350 healthcare staff and geared up 150 group responders.

The minister additionally famous that the Nigerian Australian Medical Medical doctors Affiliation organised specialised coaching on ultrasound prognosis of endometriosis in Benin City, whereas the Nigerian Medical doctors Discussion board South Africa carried out over 70 superior procedures in interventional radiology, neurosurgery and endoscopy on the Lagos College Teaching Hospital, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and Ikorodu General Hospital.

He additional revealed that the Involved Medics Basis carried out sickle cell screening and counselling for 1000’s of secondary faculty college students in Maiduguri and Gombe, whereas the Canadian Affiliation of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists and the Nigerian Medical Affiliation Germany expanded telemedicine, household drugs companies and point-of-care diagnostics by means of major healthcare amenities within the FCT and Nasarawa State.

“Throughout all six geopolitical zones, in a single season, our diaspora healthcare household have touched shut to 10 thousand Nigerian lives immediately and skilled greater than two thousand frontline health staff, multiplying that affect for years to come back,” Salako mentioned.

The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to deepening engagement with diaspora professionals by means of simplified licensing procedures, simpler locum preparations, customs and visa waivers for medical missions, and expanded funding alternatives in hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturing and diagnostic centres.

He argued that the longstanding problem of healthcare employee migration ought to not be seen solely as a “mind drain,” saying the Tinubu administration was implementing reforms geared toward bettering remuneration, working circumstances, infrastructure {and professional} improvement beneath the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.

In accordance with Salako, the administration is rebuilding Nigeria’s healthcare system to scale back an estimated ₦4.8 trillion misplaced yearly to preventable illnesses and medical tourism.

The minister additionally introduced the introduction of the Diaspora Health Registry and the Nigerians in Diaspora Advance Health Programme (NiDAH-P) Portal, describing them as digital platforms designed to match the experience of Nigerian health professionals overseas with precedence healthcare wants at house.

He urged diaspora professionals to stay actively engaged past annual medical missions by means of telemedicine, analysis partnerships, structured coaching programmes, know-how switch, public-private partnerships and investments in healthcare infrastructure.

Salako counseled the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), led by its Chairman and Chief Govt Officer, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for coordinating the initiative, and expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting efforts to reconnect Nigerian professionals overseas with the nation’s health sector.

He additionally acknowledged the collaboration of collaborating state governments, describing federal-state partnership as important to the success of the nationwide health intervention.

The minister maintained that whereas the annual occasion celebrated excellent contributions by Nigerians overseas, it additionally marked the start of a sustained partnership geared toward strengthening Nigeria’s health system by means of steady diaspora engagement.