President Bola Tinubu has pledged to intensify efforts to stem the migration of Nigerian medical professionals abroad, saying the Federal Government will work to encourage them to return and serve the country.
Tinubu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening disease surveillance and regional collaboration to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including Ebola, amid the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in parts of Africa.
The President spoke on Monday in Abuja through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, at the opening and induction ceremony of the 50th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the West African College of Physicians, marking the college’s golden jubilee.
“We will work hard to stem the trend of Japa so that we have the people coming back to serve in our region,” Tinubu said, referring to the migration of skilled professionals in search of better working conditions and opportunities abroad.
The President said the government had prioritised the recruitment, retention, welfare and training of healthcare workers, adding that more than 30,000 health professionals had been recruited into federal health facilities over the preceding two and a half years.
He said the administration had also supported the training of thousands of frontline health workers, strengthened specialist medical institutions and doubled quotas for medical education as part of efforts to address the country’s health workforce needs.
The pledge comes amid persistent concerns over the migration of Nigerian doctors and other health professionals, which has placed additional pressure on an already stretched healthcare system.
Inadequate remuneration, poor working conditions, limited training opportunities and concerns about career progression have featured prominently in discussions about the exodus.
Beyond increasing the number of trained professionals, health experts have repeatedly stressed the need to improve working conditions and provide incentives that would make remaining in Nigeria or returning from abroad more attractive.
Tinubu said the government was pursuing reforms to improve healthcare infrastructure, expand health insurance coverage and strengthen primary healthcare delivery.
“We firmly believe that quality healthcare is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a fundamental right that should be accessible to every resident of Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, the government has invested in constructing, rehabilitating and equipping health facilities, while efforts are ongoing to modernise tertiary hospitals and revitalise primary healthcare centres.
He added that direct financing for primary healthcare facilities through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund was being strengthened to improve service delivery.
The President also said the government was leveraging digital innovation to improve patient records, disease surveillance and data-driven decision-making.
On the Ebola outbreak, Tinubu said recent health emergencies had demonstrated that infectious diseases respected no national borders, requiring countries to strengthen their preparedness and coordinate responses.
“Our collective safety depends on our ability to prepare, prevent, detect and respond rapidly to health threats,” he said.
The President said Nigeria remained committed to strengthening surveillance systems, laboratory networks, emergency preparedness structures and cross-border collaboration to detect and contain outbreaks before they escalated.
Tinubu added that the government would continue investing in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other health security institutions to protect the population and contribute to regional and global health security.
“The vision of an Ebola-free West Africa and an Ebola-free Africa is achievable,” he said, adding that this would require sustained political commitment, stronger institutions, adequate public health financing and cooperation among countries.
Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, following the patient’s travel from Uganda.
The development came amid a wider outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries.
The World Health Organisation has called for sustained regional surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory capacity and infection prevention measures to limit further transmission.
As of October 25, Nigeria’s response authorities continued to coordinate measures to contain the infection. The patient was subsequently medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday after her clinical condition improved, according to the health minister.
Tinubu said Nigeria was ready to work with the West African College of Physicians, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and international development partners to strengthen regional health security.
Turning to the role of professional institutions, the President said specialist medical training was indispensable to improving patient outcomes, advancing research and building resilient health systems.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to working with the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to strengthen postgraduate medical education and develop the next generation of specialist physicians.
Tinubu also urged the college to embrace innovation, including artificial intelligence, with appropriate safeguards, while investing in health professionals and strengthening partnerships.
Earlier, the President of the West African College of Physicians, Dr Mamadou-Mourtalla Ka, said the college had spent five decades promoting excellence in postgraduate medical education, professional standards and healthcare delivery across the subregion.
He said the college had trained and certified thousands of specialist physicians who had contributed to clinical practice, medical education, scientific research and health leadership across West Africa and beyond.
Ka paid tribute to the institution’s founding fathers, past presidents, senior fellows, teachers and mentors, whose dedication helped establish and sustain the college.
He, however, warned that the region continued to face considerable health challenges, including the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, persistent infectious diseases, inequalities in access to quality healthcare and increasing pressure on health systems.
“Our response must include stronger postgraduate medical education, relevant scientific research, greater collaboration among our national chapters, and continued commitment to higher standards in professional practice,” he said.
The college president also called for greater support for younger fellows and trainees, saying their development would be crucial to the institution’s future.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, represented the FCT administration at the event and emphasised the importance of a skilled and motivated medical workforce to national development.
She called for increased investment in medical education, specialist training, research and digital health technologies, alongside improved welfare and retention of healthcare professionals.
Mahmoud commended the college for providing a platform for physicians from Nigeria and other West African countries to exchange knowledge, share scientific innovations and develop solutions to common health challenges.
She also urged the institution to expand opportunities for younger physicians, strengthen research and innovation, promote ethical medical practice and explore the use of artificial intelligence to improve clinical decision-making and healthcare delivery.
The golden jubilee conference brought together physicians and other participants from across the subregion and beyond. Organisers reported 1,376 participants attending physically and virtually, including 657 fellows, 319 inductees into fellowship, 283 inductees into membership and 76 members, alongside accompanying persons.
The programme also featured the induction of new members and fellows, as the college reflected on its achievements since its establishment in 1976 and considered priorities for the next 50 years.