“Brain Drain or Brain Gain? NARD & RYNI Lead National Health Summit to Tackle Nigeria’s Health Sector Japa Crisis”

RYNI Media: By Omotayo Stephen O.
5 July 2025

As Nigeria faces the deepest exodus of healthcare professionals in its history, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), in collaboration with the Resourceful Youth Network Initiative (RYNI), in timely and urgent response is setting the stage for a ground breaking summit, poised to reshape the conversation around the country’s ongoing healthcare crisis. . The National Healthcare Summit 2025, scheduled for Saturday, July 12 at 5:00 PM (WAT) via Zoom, is being hailed as the most consequential dialogue in Nigeria’s health sector this year.

At the helm of this crucial initiative is Dr. Osundare Tope, President of NARD, alongside Dr. Lawson Obazenu, CEO of RYNI and the summit’s lead moderator. Both figures have been vocal advocates for policy-driven change in the sector and are calling for an urgent national reckoning. Dr. Tope Osundare, President of NARD, emphasizes that the event is not just a webinar, but a national reflection point. “We must move beyond lamentation. Dr Obazenu remarked , “It is time to engage constructively with those at home and abroad on how to save the soul of our health system,”

The summit’s theme, “The JAPA Syndrome — Brain Gain or Brain Drain? Navigating the Future of Nigeria’s Health Sector,” captures the duality of the issue: while some view the migration trend as a devastating loss of human capital, others argue it could be repositioned as a strategic advantage—if harnessed wisely.

This landmark event brings together an impressive lineup of distinguished panelists, including medical luminaries from both within Nigeria and across the globe. Representing the Nigerian front are Prof. Bala Audu, President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, former President of the World Medical Association (WMA), and Prof. Temitope Esan, Registrar of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. Their insights are expected to provide a clear-eyed view of the systemic breakdowns within the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

From the diaspora, the event will feature perspectives from seasoned professionals like Dr. Sunday Fawole, a Consultant Family Physician based in Atlanta, Georgia; Dr. Elizabeth Fajemirokun, a UK-based Consultant Anaesthetist; Dr. Oyekunle Oke, President of the Nigerian Doctors in the UK (NDUK); and Dr. Babagana Abubakar, a Consultant Urologist practicing in Saudi Arabia. Together, these international panelists will provide a global lens on what Nigeria stands to gain—or lose—by continuing to export its brightest minds.

The summit is poised to tackle tough questions head-on: Is the Japa trend a hemorrhage of human capital, or a gateway to global influence? Can Nigeria convert brain drain into brain gain by forging strong diaspora partnerships and strengthening healthcare systems at home?

According to Dr. Obazenu, “This summit isn’t just about highlighting the crisis — it’s an intervention about shaping sustainable solutions that prioritize people, policy, and purpose that will tackle the national health emergency called Japa syndrome.

With mounting challenges across the system, from doctor shortages to ailing infrastructure, the summit offers a rare convergence of minds united by one mission: to reimagine and rebuild the future of Nigerian health.

Be part of the change. Show up. Speak up. Shape the future.

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