Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has urged African leaders to build environments attractive enough to draw diaspora professionals back home to contribute to the continent’s development, arguing good governance and credible elections form the foundation for that kind of sustainable progress.
In a post on X, Obi said Africa holds abundant human capital scattered across the world, particularly in medicine, that the continent has yet to fully harness because of poor governance and unfavourable domestic conditions. Drawing comparisons with China and India, he argued both countries show what deliberate leadership and sound policy can achieve, noting that China has reduced the share of its population living in extreme poverty to less than 10 percent of Africa’s figure, while India has leveraged its diaspora medical professionals to build one of the world’s leading healthcare systems alongside a thriving medical tourism industry. India also demonstrates what is possible, he said, its diaspora physicians and medical professionals played a significant role in developing a healthcare system that has made India one of the world’s top medical tourism destinations, and Africa has countless brilliant doctors and healthcare professionals across the diaspora who possess similar knowledge and experience, what remains essential is creating the enabling environment that will attract them home. He also called on Africans living abroad to stay actively engaged in promoting democratic values across the continent, arguing their contribution to Africa’s future extends well beyond the money they send home.
