President Bola Tinubu has pledged to intensify efforts to curb the migration of Nigerian medical professionals abroad, promising to create conditions that will encourage them to return and serve the country.
The President made the commitment in Abuja through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor 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 its golden jubilee.
Tinubu said the Federal Government had prioritised the recruitment, retention, welfare and training of healthcare workers, disclosing that more than 30,000 health professionals had been recruited into federal health facilities over the past two and a half years. He added that the administration had supported frontline health worker training, strengthened specialist institutions and doubled quotas for medical education.
The President also highlighted ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure, health insurance coverage and primary healthcare delivery. He said the government was modernising tertiary hospitals, rehabilitating health facilities and strengthening funding through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to improve access to quality medical services.
On the Ebola outbreak, Tinubu stressed the need for stronger disease surveillance, laboratory networks and cross-border cooperation to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with regional and international partners to strengthen preparedness and protect public health, describing an Ebola-free West Africa as an achievable goal.
Earlier, the President of the West African College of Physicians, Dr Mamadou-Mourtalla Ka, said the institution had spent 50 years advancing postgraduate medical education, professional standards and healthcare delivery across the region. He called for stronger specialist training, scientific research and support for younger physicians, while other speakers emphasised improved healthcare worker welfare, digital innovation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in medical practice.
The golden jubilee conference brought together physicians and other participants from Nigeria and across West Africa to review the college’s achievements since its establishment in 1976 and discuss priorities for the future of medical education and healthcare delivery in the subregion.
