The Federal Government has unveiled plans to harness the expertise of more than 50,000 Nigerian doctors and thousands of other healthcare professionals living abroad through the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (DHII) 2026.
The initiative was highlighted during the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration held at the Presidential Villa 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 Nigerians in the diaspora as one of the nation’s most strategic assets and said the government was determined to leverage their expertise to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
According to him, the initiative will focus on knowledge transfer, specialist medical outreach, clinical mentorship, research collaboration and workforce development to strengthen healthcare services nationwide.
“The diaspora remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic assets, serving as a bridge for diplomacy, technology transfer and global partnership well beyond remittances and investment,” Enikanolaiye said.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the programme had already facilitated medical missions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, providing specialist healthcare services and supporting hospitals with medical equipment.
She disclosed that the commission plans to establish a National Diaspora Health Corps aimed at engaging at least 1,000 diaspora healthcare professionals annually.
Dabiri-Erewa also noted that diaspora remittances rose from $17 billion in 2019 to over $21 billion in 2025, while partnerships are being developed to support housing, technology transfer and healthcare development.
She described Nigerians abroad as “ambassadors at large” whose contributions continue to impact national development.
