Tinubu WACP Fellowship: President Asks Why Doctors Keep Fleeing Nigeria
By: Abudu Olalekan
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a question. A big one. Why are all our medical professionals moving overseas?
He asked it on Thursday at the State House in Abuja. He had just received an Honorary Fellowship from the West African College of Physicians, WACP. The award came with a serious conversation about healthcare. Tinubu did not hide his concern.
“Why are all our professionals moving overseas? What can we do to improve the conditions that will make them do more back home?” he asked.
It is a familiar problem. Nigerian doctors, nurses and other health workers leave for better pay, better equipment and safer working conditions. Other West African countries face it too. The result? Health systems feel the squeeze. Essential services become harder to deliver.
Tinubu said the migration was putting pressure on healthcare systems across the sub-region. He urged WACP leadership and medical professionals to help tackle the issue. Not just talk about it. Find practical solutions. Improve working conditions. Give skilled workers reasons to stay.
He also turned to disease outbreaks. Ebola is in the news again. Africa, he said, faces more challenges than other regions. Prevention matters.
“We are more challenged in Africa than anywhere else; you know, and with the outbreak of Ebola now we’re looking for a preventive action that will eliminate all these problems and infections. So, I wish you the best. As I pledge to behave myself, I will continue to do whatever I can do for this honourable profession,” Tinubu said.
He repeated his administration’s commitment to health sector reforms. The goal, he said, is healthcare that is accessible, affordable and efficient for Nigerians.
Tinubu also praised physicians across Africa. Their work in medical research, disease prevention, life-saving interventions and health system development matters. He thanked WACP for the honour.
The College President and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr Mamadou Mourtala Ka, said the fellowship goes to presidents who have made a real mark on healthcare delivery in West Africa.
“This award is given only to presidents who have made a mark in health care delivery and affected the health of the West African people,” he said.
Professor Musa Dankyau, Secretary-General of WACP and spokesperson for the delegation, said the decision reflected Tinubu’s commitment to health sector reforms. He noted the fellowship has only been awarded eight times in the college’s 50-year history. First recipient: former Gambian President Dawda Jawara. Former Nigerian Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, received it in 1991.
Dankyau also spoke about investment. More than $2.2bn had gone into Nigerian health, he said. There have been strides in disease prevention, immunisation and public health preparedness. And just days earlier, the health minister said Nigeria was ready for Ebola. That reassurance mattered.
Those at the meeting included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Special Adviser to the President on Health Matters, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.