Abuja: Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to support efforts towards ending the current spate of medical tourism by their compatriots.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu advised in a statement issued on Thursday by Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The minister spoke on the sidelines of the 16th Annual Mbaise USA Convention held in Minnesota, USA, where she inaugurated the construction project of the Medville Medical City in Uvuru, Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria.
She advised them not to view the U.S. and Europe as their ‘permanent homes,’ but rather to take proactive measures in replicating the infrastructure they enjoyed in their places of residence abroad in their respective home communities in Nigeria.
According to her, doing so has become essential to channel the skills, resources, and innovative spirit acquired abroad back to their homeland, as well as fostering a cycle of growth that benefits both present and future generations.
She restated that the progress so far recorded in diaspora communities should serve as a blueprint for local development, inspiring purposeful investments and initiatives in Nigeria.
“By building bridges between experiences overseas and opportunities at home, Nigerians can collectively uplift their communities and strengthen the nation’s fabric”.
She commended the convention for feats recorded over the years, saying such complemented the Federal Government’s efforts toward national development, especially in the area of affordable healthcare.
“These accomplishments, no doubt, were consistent with the present administration’s foreign policy thrust of Democracy, Diaspora, Demography, and Development, codenamed 4Ds, and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The Medville Medical City is a legacy project that will place Mbaise and Nigeria as a whole on the global map, given its potential to bring much-desired advancement in modern medicine and healthcare delivery in the country.
“I congratulate the brain behind this vision, Dr. Nancy Akunna, for her foresight, brilliance, dedication, resilience, and patriotic zeal in designing a medical concept capable of revolutionising the medical industry in Nigeria.”
The President of Mbaise USA disclosed that the group had championed annual medical missions, facilitated access to healthcare insurance, awarded educational scholarships, and supported skills acquisition programmes.
In addition, he stated that the organisation had undertaken vital infrastructure development, including the provision of World Health Organisation-standard water boreholes and spearheading community electrification projects.
The initiator of the Medville Medical City project, Dr Akunna, explained that the Medical City was envisioned as a transformative initiative aimed at bridging the gap between local limitations and international standards.
She said, “By bringing together state-of-the-art medical services, educational opportunities, and an environment conducive to both healing and enterprise.
“I hope to inspire a model community that would be top-notch in our rural setting.”
The annual convention attracted many dignitaries, including Frank Nneji, Chairman of ABC Transport, Sir Stanley Amuchie, Executive Director of Fidelity Bank PLC, and Ugwumba Nwosu, former Commissioner for Lands in Imo State.Others were the former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, Innocent Iwejuo; the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Bishop Simeon Okezue Nwobi; the Anglican Bishop of Mbaise, Bishop Chamberlain Ogunedo; and Eze M.J.O. Nwaturuocha.
