He, therefore, appealed to Nigerian health workers practising abroad to “sacrifice their time to come back home and serve their people.”
This was as he implored countries poaching Nigerian health workers to consider the interest of Nigeria.
Tinubu made the call on Tuesday at the unveiling of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative at the State House, Abuja.
Describing health as a fundamental human right, Tinubu announced plans for a comprehensive revamp of physical infrastructure, equipment and the re-training of frontline health workers starting in 2024.
“Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Care Coverage is reflected in the unwavering dedication of my administration to uphold this right for every individual, young or old, in rural or urban areas,” the President said.
Tuesday’s event was part of activities marking Universal Health Coverage Day, observed annually on December 12.
Tinubu boasted that Nigeria remained a rallying point for the best minds in the medical profession, prompting his administration to allocate a substantial sum for the sector in the 2024 budget currently before the National Assembly.
“We encourage those Nigerian health professionals in the Diaspora, just like Professor Ali Pate and Tunji Alausa have done, to sacrifice their time to come back home and serve their people. Consider your contributions here at home, as we say, ‘Charity begins at home’.
“For the developed countries who benefited from amazing talents of Nigerian health workers, we’ll really encourage them to consider how to support the expansion of training facilities in Nigeria to replace those that they have recruited from here. You should also look at the short and long-term opportunities that we offer.”
Over 5,000 medical doctors in Nigeria have migrated to the UK, the US, United Arab Emirates and other African countries.