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…Urges inclusive, multi-disciplinary framework for national health reform
By Chinenye Anuforo
The Executive President of Nurses Across the Borders and Director for International Liaison of the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK, Pastor Peters Omoragbon, has called for an urgent review of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM)’s recent announcement on the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative 2026 (DHII 2026), describing its current framework as exclusionary.
Omoragbon, who also serves as President of the Diaspora Nurses Association of Nigeria (DNAN), Chairman of the Health Committee of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe, and General Secretary of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation UK Chapter, made the call in a statement.
While commending NiDCOM and the Federal Ministry of Health for conceptualising DHII 2026 under the theme, “Harnessing Global Diaspora Medical Expertise to Strengthen Local Health Systems for National Development,” he said the vision behind the initiative is timely and commendable. However, he argued that the engagement structure outlined in the press statement fails to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of modern healthcare delivery.
According to him, although diaspora remittances to Nigeria exceed $20 billion annually, the intellectual and professional capital of Nigerians abroad particularly in healthcare, remains an even more strategic asset for national development.
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He expressed concern that the planning and rollout of DHII 2026 appeared to accord disproportionate recognition to one professional group, without structured engagement with other critical healthcare stakeholders, especially nursing and allied health bodies in the diaspora.
“Healthcare is not the purview of a single profession. It is a collaborative system built on specialised skills working together. Effective medical interventions depend on the synergy between physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals,” he said.
Omoragbon stressed that excluding key professional groups from the planning framework undermines the principles of inclusivity and partnership enshrined in the National Diaspora Policy. He cited the absence of early engagement with major diaspora nursing bodies, including the Nigerian Nurses Association of North America (NANNNA), the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK (NNCA UK), and the Diaspora Nurses Association of Nigeria (DNAN), as a missed opportunity.
He noted that previous diaspora health engagements under initiatives such as the Diaspora Professionals Health Initiative (DPHI) were multi-sectoral in approach, involving broad professional representation. “Governance is a continuum. What has changed?” he queried.
Omoragbon further pointed to past medical outreach missions conducted in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe in 2024 and 2025, in which NiDCOM and the Federal Ministry of Health were represented. He said those interventions succeeded because they were structured as comprehensive, multi-disciplinary missions integrating diagnosis, skilled nursing care, patient education and follow-up protocols.
He warned that assigning operational delivery solely to associations led primarily by physicians risks marginalising the leadership and clinical contributions of nurses and allied professionals.
Consequently, he called for the withdrawal of the current press statement on DHII 2026 and the restructuring of its implementation framework to reflect broader stakeholder participation.
Among his recommendations are the constitution of an inclusive planning committee with representation from major healthcare professional groups across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, North America and other regions; restructuring of operational teams to ensure genuine multi-disciplinary collaboration; and the establishment of a standing protocol to guide future diaspora health engagements.
He reaffirmed the readiness of diaspora nursing and allied health networks to contribute expertise and resources toward the success of DHII 2026, adding that the true measure of success would lie not only in service delivery outcomes but in the strength and inclusivity of the partnerships forged.
“We look forward to a future where every healthcare professional in the diaspora is recognised and engaged as an equal partner in building a resilient and equitable healthcare system for Nigeria,” the statement concluded.
