The Federal Government has launched a new initiative aimed at tapping into the expertise of Nigerian health professionals abroad to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.
The programme, known as the Nigerians in Diaspora Advance Health Programme (NiDAH-P), is designed to connect diaspora doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health specialists with tertiary health institutions in Nigeria.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, announced the initiative in Abuja, saying it would help provide specialised medical services, improve residency training, expand professional development opportunities and create lasting partnerships between Nigerian institutions and global experts.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachallom, Pate said Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora had contributed to the country’s healthcare sector over the years, but the efforts lacked proper coordination.
He explained that NiDAH-P was created to organise these contributions and ensure they deliver greater impact for the nation’s health system.
According to the minister, the programme challenges the long-standing narrative of health worker migration as only a loss, noting that migration can become beneficial when properly managed.
“Migration left alone is a loss, but migration given direction becomes circulation,” Pate said, adding that the initiative would create a structured system for collaboration, monitoring and sustainability.
NiDAH-P will begin with 19 federal tertiary health institutions and would be implemented in three stages: foundation and setup, pilot implementation, and eventual expansion and evaluation.
The programme would also introduce a Diaspora Health Impact Initiative in partnership with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) as part of activities marking National Diaspora Day 2026.
A director in the ministry, Dr Nwakaego Chukwukaodinaka, explained that the scheme would allow diaspora professionals to participate through short-term clinical placements, sabbatical engagements and virtual mentorship programmes.
She said a digital platform would be used to register, verify and match diaspora volunteers with healthcare facilities based on identified needs, while a monitoring dashboard would support coordination and oversight.
NiDCOM said it was prepared to support the initiative by helping transform the migration of Nigerian health workers from “brain drain” into “brain gain.”
The Chairman of the Guild of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Professor Sahad Ahmed, also pledged the commitment of hospital administrators to ensuring the success of the programme.
