President Bola Tinubu on Friday appealed to Nigerian medical doctors and other healthcare professionals in the diaspora to return home and contribute their expertise to the Federal Government’s drive to transform the nation’s healthcare system.

The President said the country needed the knowledge, innovation and experience of its highly skilled professionals abroad to build a resilient, accessible and world-class health sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tinubu made the appeal while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide, led by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the State House, Abuja, as part of activities marking the 2026 National Diaspora Day celebration.

Reflecting on his own decision to return to Nigeria after working abroad, Tinubu urged the visiting professionals to see national service as a collective responsibility.

“It gives me great joy to see you returning home with a singular purpose of helping our people through your medical outreaches. Your commitment to humanity reflects the oath you swore as medical professionals, and I thank you for it.

“I have been through that journey. I am home now, and I can tell you there is nowhere like home. Other nations were built by people who remained committed to developing their own societies. We must do the same for Nigeria,” the President said.

Tinubu recalled his career with Deloitte and Touche and Mobil before returning to Nigeria to participate in nation-building, saying the same patriotic commitment was needed to accelerate the country’s development.

He reaffirmed that healthcare remains a priority of the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the administration is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, expanding access to quality medical services, investing in medical education and research, improving digital health infrastructure and creating policies to stem the tide of brain drain.

According to him, the government is also working to improve the welfare of healthcare professionals while fostering stronger partnerships with Nigerians in the diaspora.

“You have seen the opportunities and challenges in other parts of the world. You have come back with knowledge and experience that can help change this country. This is the heart of Africa, and together we can build a better future for our children,” he said.

The President commended the diaspora doctors for conducting medical outreach programmes across the country’s six geopolitical zones, describing their interventions as a demonstration of patriotism and compassion.

He noted that the outreachs had delivered specialist consultations, surgeries, health education and other life-saving services to thousands of Nigerians.

Tinubu urged the medical professionals to become ambassadors of Nigeria’s renewed optimism by encouraging more healthcare experts abroad to reconnect with the country through partnerships, investments, knowledge transfer and permanent return where possible.

Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa said the visiting professionals had demonstrated their commitment to supporting the administration’s healthcare agenda by deploying their expertise during medical outreachs across the country.

She said many of the doctors, though successful abroad, remained eager to contribute to Nigeria’s development because of their attachment to the country.

“These are Nigerians who were trained here, succeeded abroad and have chosen to return home to give back. Through the Diaspora Commission, we are encouraging them to play an active role in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda,” she said.

The Chairman of NiDCOM attributed the growing interest of diaspora professionals in returning home to the confidence inspired by Tinubu’s leadership.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the commitment shown by diaspora medical professionals reflected growing confidence in the administration’s healthcare reforms.

He said the Renewed Hope Agenda had inspired many Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad to reconnect with the country through investments, volunteer services and knowledge exchange.

“What we are witnessing today shows that the Renewed Hope Agenda is resonating not only with Nigerians at home but also with those abroad. They are motivated, prepared and eager to contribute to the transformation of Nigeria’s healthcare system,” Salako said.

He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health would institutionalise its engagement with diaspora healthcare professionals by making the collaboration an annual programme.

Among those at the meeting were the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare; Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, and leading members of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations Worldwide.