As Nigerian health professionals continue to cross borders in pursuit of better opportunities abroad, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) offered a striking, pragmatic shift in perspective to a new cohort of medical graduates: migration doesn’t have to mean abandonment.

Speaking on Monday, October 5, 2026, at the swearing-in ceremony of new medical graduates at Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), the Chairman of the Edo State NMA, Dr Andrew Eigbedion, urged young doctors to reframe how they view their roles in a globalised healthcare ecosystem – whether they choose to stay or leave.

A pragmatic take on the “Japa” reality
Rather than delivering a conventional lecture admonishing young doctors against emigrating, the NMA leadership tackled the reality of health sector migration head-on.

“You may choose to practise here or elsewhere in the world,” the NMA Chairman told the inductees.
“If you leave Nigeria, acquire knowledge, skills and experience – and find ways to bring value back home. If you remain here, do not merely complain about the system. Help improve it.”

The statement marks a distinct approach in the national narrative surrounding medical emigration – encouraging a culture of diaspora reinvestment and circular migration rather than total detachment from the home health system.

Navigating systemic limits with compassion and tech
For those who remain in the domestic system, the ceremony highlighted the tough realities on the ground: underfunded facilities, heavy patient burdens, and resource constraints. The address urged the new doctors to maintain high ethical standards despite these systemic limitations.
Ethics & Empathy: Graduates were reminded that resource shortages must never become an excuse for a breakdown in compassion or professionalism, regardless of a patient’s socio-economic status.
Modern Toolkits: The NMA challenged the new doctors to leverage emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to bridge resource gaps, while cautioning that technology must augment, not replace, human connection and clinical empathy.

Addressing the structural bottleneck
While encouraging the graduates, the NMA Chairman also pointed out a policy disconnect threatening the domestic workforce pipeline. While welcoming the Federal Ministry of Health’s decision to expand medical school admission quotas, he warned that failing to expand postgraduate Housemanship positions leaves qualified young doctors in limbo.
The NMA formally called on the Federal Government and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to double or triple available Housemanship slots, ensuring that young doctors are given immediate, structured pathways to serve in hospitals across the country.

Passing the torch
The Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, alongside the Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Dominic Osaghae, joined faculty members and parents in witnessing the inductees take their professional oath.
Sending the new doctors off, the NMA Chairman urged them to let five core principles guide their practice: Competence, Compassion, Character, Courage, and Service.
“In their darkest moments, patients do not just trust you with their lives. They trust you with their hope,” he noted, charging the fresh graduates to give true meaning to the title “Doctor” as they step into active service.