Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
ABUJA, Nigeria- The video consultation can cross borders in seconds. Expertise can travel from Maryland to Abuja, from London to Lokoja, and from Toronto to Kano. But a virtual doctor cannot stand at a crowded hospital ward, perform every emergency procedure or fill the vacancy left by a nurse who has emigrated. That is the dilemma facing Nigeria as the government turns to its medical diaspora through the Nigerians in the Diaspora Advanced Health Programme, known as NiDAH-P. The initiative could reconnect Nigerian doctors abroad with hospitals and research institutions at home, but as Edino Cornelius found, health workers and diaspora doctors are asking a harder question: can Nigeria use the knowledge of the professionals it has lost without fixing the conditions that made them leave?
Can NiDAH-P tackle Nigeria’s Health Worker Shortage?
Nigeria has been losing doctors, nurses and other health professionals to countries offering better pay, working conditions, career opportunities and more developed healthcare systems.
The result is a growing workforce gap in a country already struggling to provide healthcare for a large and expanding population.
NiDAH-P offers one way of keeping Nigerian professionals abroad connected to the health system at home.
But reconnecting with doctors who have left is different from retaining those who remain.
Michael Ochanya of the Nigerian Medical Association said the migration of Nigerian health professionals is not new, but the scale of the opportunities available abroad has made the problem more difficult.
“Generally, the issue of doctors and nurses migrating overseas for greener pastures is not new. How doctors and medical experts are treated outside Nigeria is totally different from what we have here.”
He recalled how quickly a friend accepted an opportunity to work in the United Kingdom.
“I recently had a friend who was also picked to go to the United Kingdom, and he did not even think twice before going because of the many advantages attached to it.”
Ochanya said NiDAH-P could help Nigerian institutions access the knowledge and experience of professionals working abroad.
“The recent launch by the government, particularly NiDAH-P, means doctors overseas will be able to connect with hospitals here in Nigeria, as well as research institutions, and also provide consultations.”
But he warned that such connections cannot replace health workers physically present in hospitals.
“It may help in the aspect of getting new information that will help, but it does not mean it will reduce or cover the gaps left behind in hospitals.”
A specialist abroad may review a complicated case remotely, but a patient still needs a doctor at the bedside. An online training session can strengthen the skills of health workers, but it cannot put another nurse on an understaffed ward.
That distinction is at the heart of Nigeria’s diaspora strategy.
Why are Nigerian Doctors Leaving?
At Specialist Hospital in Lokoja, Kogi State, Dr Nicolas Daudu believes the debate about NiDAH-P must begin with a more fundamental question: why are medical professionals leaving Nigeria?
He described the initiative as useful but said it also highlights weaknesses within the country’s healthcare system.
“I think there is more to the issue. I am not saying the initiative is a bad one; in fact, it is a good one. But to me, it shows weakness in the healthcare sector.”
Daudu said policymakers must examine why professionals are prepared to leave their careers and established lives in Nigeria for opportunities abroad.
“This question is expected to be asked: what is the reason medical professionals are leaving Nigeria?”
He believes the willingness of many professionals to leave whenever an opportunity arises reflects deeper problems in the health sector.
“Every doctor today that has a chance to leave Nigeria will definitely do so without looking back.”
Despite his concerns, Daudu does not reject NiDAH-P.
“The initiative is definitely a good one.”
His position captures the central challenge: Nigeria is building ways to reconnect with its diaspora while struggling to create conditions that encourage professionals to remain at home.
Nurses Call for Deeper Reforms
Mercy Adebawo, a nurse at Specialist Hospital in Lokoja, also sees value in the programme.
She said NiDAH-P could create a useful link between health professionals in Nigeria and colleagues around the world.
“The NiDAH-P initiative is to create a link between medical professionals here and those spread across the world.”
Adebawo said the exchange could allow professionals on both sides to share knowledge and experience.
“Yes, it is a good development where both parties can share helpful information with each other.”
But she said knowledge exchange alone will not stop the migration of health workers.
“Deeper reforms are needed to curb the continuous migration of health experts.”
Remuneration, she said, remains an important factor.
“The reason this keeps happening is because of how they are paid outside.”
She pointed to the experience of a friend working in Canada.
“I have a friend working in Canada, and she is being paid per hour.”
For Adebawo, improving conditions in Nigeria could influence the decisions of health workers considering migration.
“I just think there should be improvements, and there will definitely be changes.”
The challenge is significant. Nigeria spends years and substantial resources training doctors, nurses and other health professionals. When they leave, the country loses not only their services but also the experience they accumulate over time.
A Nigerian Doctor’s View from Maryland
Gerald Adenoyi, a Nigerian doctor who has worked in Maryland, United States, for more than eight years, has experienced both sides of the healthcare divide.
He said the infrastructure and organisation of the health system in Maryland have a major impact on healthcare delivery.
“I have been here in Maryland for over eight years now, and I must say the health department here works on another level that cannot be compared.”
He highlighted medical equipment and emergency response as examples.
“Availability of medical equipment, time response for ambulances and all of that are on another level.”
Adenoyi supports efforts to connect Nigerian healthcare institutions with professionals abroad.
“What I just have to say is yes, even though I am just hearing about it, it is a good move to link medical practitioners outside Nigeria.”
But he does not believe diaspora engagement alone can reverse migration.
“But I don’t think that will solve the issue of migration.”
Adenoyi said creating better opportunities in Nigeria is essential.
“Improvement needs to take place here. Job opportunities need to be created because that is also part of the reason, I sought it somewhere else.”
Diaspora Engagement is not the Same as Retention
The health professionals interviewed for this report agree that NiDAH-P could benefit Nigeria.
The programme could facilitate:
virtual medical consultations;
mentorship and knowledge exchange;
research partnerships;
professional training; and
access to expertise and practices developed in other health systems.
But these benefits should not be mistaken for a solution to Nigeria’s workforce shortage.
There is a fundamental difference between bringing expertise into Nigeria and retaining the professionals who provide that expertise.
A specialist abroad can advise on a difficult case but cannot take a permanent hospital shift. A diaspora doctor can train colleagues online but cannot replace a nurse needed on a ward every day.
Similarly, a visiting medical team can provide an important short-term service, but the staffing challenge returns when the team leaves.
For NiDAH-P to have a lasting impact, diaspora engagement will therefore need to complement—not replace—domestic reforms.
The economic cost of losing trained professionals
The migration of health workers also carries an economic cost.
Nigeria invests public and private resources in educating doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Medical school takes years, while specialist training requires additional time and investment.
When trained professionals leave permanently, Nigeria loses the benefit of that investment as well as the expertise they acquire during their careers.
Destination countries, meanwhile, gain professionals who have already completed much of their foundational training.
That does not mean Nigerian health workers should be prevented from seeking better opportunities abroad. Rather, it raises a policy question: how can Nigeria make staying competitive enough to become a genuine choice?
Improving salaries is important, but retention depends on more than pay.
Health professionals also need functioning medical equipment, reliable electricity and water, safe workplaces, adequate staffing, opportunities for postgraduate training, clear career progression and professional respect.
What should Nigeria do beyond NiDAH-P?
NiDAH-P could become an important part of Nigeria’s response to the health workforce crisis, but it cannot carry the burden alone.
A broader retention strategy should include:
competitive and regularly reviewed remuneration;
improved working conditions;
modern medical equipment;
adequate staffing and workforce planning;
stronger health insurance and welfare packages;
opportunities for specialist and continuous professional training;
safer workplaces;
transparent career progression;
increased research funding; and
incentives for experienced professionals to remain in Nigeria.
The government could also create structured opportunities for diaspora professionals who want to return temporarily or permanently.
These could include research fellowships, visiting specialist positions, teaching appointments and partnerships with Nigerian hospitals and research institutions.
Such measures could turn the diaspora from a source of occasional medical intervention into a long-term partner in strengthening Nigeria’s health system.
But the domestic system still has to improve.
Measuring whether NiDAH-P succeeds
Nigeria does not have to choose between retaining health professionals at home and engaging those who have already left.
It needs both.
Doctors and nurses abroad possess knowledge, experience and professional networks that could benefit Nigerian institutions. NiDAH-P provides a mechanism for bringing some of those resources back into the system.
However, the programme’s success should not be measured only by the number of virtual consultations, seminars or professional connections it generates.
The more important questions are whether fewer doctors and nurses are leaving, whether hospitals are becoming better staffed, whether working conditions are improving and whether more professionals are choosing to build their careers in Nigeria.
Ultimately, the test is whether patients receive better and more reliable care.
Nigeria does not simply need its doctors abroad to remain connected to home. It needs to build a healthcare system that gives doctors, nurses and other health professionals still in the country compelling reasons to stay.
The Real Test Is Not Whether Doctors Abroad Will Help
Nigeria does not have to choose between retaining health workers at home and engaging those who have already left.
It needs both.
Doctors and nurses abroad possess knowledge, experience and professional networks that can benefit Nigerian institutions.
NiDAH-P can help unlock that resource.
But if Nigeria focuses only on reconnecting with its diaspora, it risks treating the symptom while leaving the disease untouched.
The deeper problem is a health system in which too many professionals see migration as a better path to professional fulfilment, financial stability and safer working conditions.
That is why the success of NiDAH-P should not be measured simply by the number of virtual consultations conducted, seminars organised or doctors connected to Nigerian institutions.
The bigger questions are:
Are fewer doctors leaving? Are hospitals becoming better staffed? Are working conditions improving? Are professionals choosing to build their careers in Nigeria? And are patients receiving better care because of the reforms?
Those are harder measures—but they are the ones that matter.
Nigeria does not merely need its doctors abroad to remain connected to home.
It needs to build a healthcare system that gives the doctors, nurses and other health professionals still at home compelling reasons to stay.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
