Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has proposed a pragmatic approach to the issue of Nigerian doctors emigrating abroad, suggesting that the country could leverage the trend by training more doctors and exporting them to earn foreign currencies. Governor Mohammed believes that since Nigerian doctors are highly valued abroad, the government should focus on producing more medical professionals and exporting them. He sees this as an opportunity for the repatriation of money to Nigeria.
The governor made this proposition during a courtesy visit to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in Abuja. He emphasized the need for the government to invest in training more doctors, nurses, and health technologists to meet both national and international demands. Governor Mohammed sees the competence of Nigerian medical professionals as an asset that can be harnessed for economic benefits.
Governor Mohammed expressed the desire for collaboration with TETFund to support the state-owned College of Education, Technical, which was recently established by the Bauchi State government. He believes that investing in education, particularly in the medical field, can contribute to the development of human resources that are in demand globally.
The Bauchi governor’s perspective on addressing the departure of Nigerian doctors reflects a proactive and economic-minded approach. By strategically exporting trained medical professionals, Nigeria could not only address the brain drain issue but also contribute to the nation’s economic growth through repatriated funds.
