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 strengthen the country’s health system through the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative 2026.
The initiative took centre stage at the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Friday in Abuja, under 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 Nigeria’s diaspora as one of the country’s greatest strategic assets, saying the government was determined to harness its expertise beyond remittances and investment.
He said the DHII was designed to leverage the expertise, innovation and professional networks of Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad through knowledge transfer, specialist medical outreach, capacity building, clinical mentorship, research collaboration and health workforce development.
According to him, the interventions are already improving healthcare access, enhancing service quality, reducing health disparities and advancing universal health coverage across the country.
