Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has made a passionate call to Nigerians in the diaspora to take decisive steps towards ending the country’s heavy reliance on medical tourism. Speaking at the 16th Annual Mbaise USA Convention held in Minnesota, USA, the minister urged Nigerians abroad not to consider the United States and Europe as their permanent homes, but rather to begin replicating the world-class infrastructure and services they enjoy abroad in their home communities across Nigeria.
The highlight of the event was the official flag-off of construction for the Medville Medical City in Uvuru, Mbaise, Imo State, a groundbreaking healthcare initiative envisioned by the diaspora group Mbaise USA. The minister emphasized that this project is a significant step toward reversing the outflow of patients seeking treatment abroad and a blueprint for channeling diaspora resources, skills, and innovation back into Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu applauded Mbaise USA for its continued contributions to national development, noting that the group’s record aligns with the federal government’s foreign policy agenda, known as the “4Ds”—Democracy, Diaspora, Demography, and Development as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She commended the group’s efforts in affordable healthcare delivery, infrastructure, education, and economic empowerment, highlighting their annual medical missions, provision of WHO-standard water boreholes, community electrification projects, and scholarship and skills development programs.
Specifically addressing the Medville Medical City project, she described it as a legacy initiative that would put Mbaise and Nigeria on the global healthcare map. The minister praised Dr. Nancy Akunna, the visionary behind the project, for her foresight, resilience, and patriotism in conceptualizing a medical city capable of transforming healthcare access and standards in rural Nigeria. The facility is expected to feature cutting-edge medical services, training programs, and an enterprise-friendly environment that bridges the gap between global medical standards and local needs.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further stated that both the federal government and the Imo State government are fully supportive of the Medville Medical City initiative. As the minister responsible for diaspora affairs, she pledged her office’s full partnership and cooperation with the Mbaise USA group, the Imo State Government, and relevant institutions to ensure the project’s success.
Also in attendance was Dr. Priscilla Otti, wife of the Abia State Governor and a proud daughter of Mbaise, who congratulated the group for bringing impactful development back home. She praised the Medville project and expressed the Abia State Government’s interest in exploring future collaborations with similar objectives.
National President of Mbaise USA, Ezeji Alozie Aguwa, and Chairman of the Board of Delegates, Dr. Charles Iwejuo, both highlighted the group’s achievements in healthcare, education, and digital development. They emphasized that the Medville project is part of a broader vision to build a digitally empowered economy through strategic diaspora investment.
Dr. Nancy Akunna, the project’s initiator, described Medville as a transformative concept aimed at setting a new standard for rural healthcare in Nigeria. She stressed the importance of combining world-class medical care, education, and enterprise to build a model community that fosters healing and innovation.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including Frank Nneji, Chairman of ABC Transport; Sir Stanley Amuchie, Executive Director at Fidelity Bank; Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, former Imo State Commissioner for Lands; Innocent Iwejuo, former Nigerian Ambassador to Guinea; Bishop Simeon Okezue Nwobi of the Ahiara Catholic Diocese; Bishop Chamberlain Ogunedo of the Anglican Diocese of Mbaise; and traditional ruler Eze M.J.O. Nwaturuocha.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s rousing message serves as a call to action for all diaspora Nigerians: invest in home-grown solutions, curb medical tourism, and help build a stronger, healthier Nigeria through visionary development and community engagement.
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