I felt bad about this token from Canada. Yes, send Nigeria $18 million to deal with many challenges as the minister noted: “Nigeria is facing a complex humanitarian crisis that requires urgent action from the international community. Canada is proud to stand with the Nigerian people and our partners to help address the immediate and underlying causes of this crisis” – Minister of International Development, Karina Gould.

The press release stated that Canada’s humanitarian assistance will help deliver food, nutrition, health care, water, sanitation, hygiene, protection, and education services to the most vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and host communities. Canada will also support efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, which has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada’s aid has made a significant impact on the lives of millions of Nigerians who have benefited from improved health care, education, food security, and protection.

I wish Nigeria could reject this money and push for Canada to pay $200,000 per medical doctor hired from Nigeria. Nigeria’s medical school system is subsidized, but Canada jumps in and hires the doctors after graduation. So, instead of this $18m, we can develop a better business model with Canada, by asking to be refunded for our medical doctors.

What is $18 million for a country shipping its hundreds of medical doctors away yearly? The crisis which Canada is sending $18m for came because Nigeria has limited doctors to support its primary healthcare system. You cannot blame Canada of course. We just need to wake up as a people, and if the government cannot lead here, that would be extremely unfortunate.

Of course, I have no issues with Canada; Nigeria has to put its house in order!

Comment on Feed

Comment 1: They didnt ship the medical doctors to Canada, they chased them away. Doctors are not the only professionals that left Nigeria for greener pasture, Engineers and other financial experts did too. I dont think prof should be taking this position since he also benefited from the JAPA window

My Response: As always, I have noted that I am not qualified to speak on this. Yet, while I cannot speak on personal decisions of peeople, I have rights to speak to our government. So, this is not about asking doctors to stay (you will not read that from me). I am simply challenging Nigeria to fix things.

Comment 2: Prof. You shot from the two sides of the barrel. Well, with no intention to hold brief for Canada, I am not aware, that they have taken any step to set up active recruitment systems targeted at pulling off Nigerian medical graduates. They only implemented policies that made it attractive for willing immigrants to take a bait.

Agreed, Nigeria may have invested heavily in training doctors, but it is also the responsibility of every smart investor to protect his investments. Here, Nigeria failed. A minister of labour once said that Doctors can go wherever they want to go and not that important in the scheme of things. The mass exit of Doctors is a response to the mess the health sector has become.

And to revert it, let Nigeria make the sector attractive. Have you heard of any nation trying to recruit or poach Nigerian politicians? Answer is No and reason is because no nation on earth can pay the least person playing in Nigeria’s political space. That space, for good or bad, is attractive enough to retain its workforce. Beggars have no choice. Nigeria is begging and have no chips for any form of bargain.

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First, I am nearly confident that Nigeria’s presidency was not aware of this yacht line. In other words, no one can convince me that Tinubu would allow such, considering everything happening in the nation. My postulation is that one person in the government has a yacht which he is trying to dispose of, and the Nigerian people seem like a good target to dump it.

e Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives have passed the controversial N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill after its third reading, removing the controversial N5 billion budgeted for yacht, following outcry from civil society organizations and the general public.

The House of Representatives also made significant changes to the proposed supplementary budget, including an increase in the allocation for student loans and adjustments to other critical areas. The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Abubakar Bichi Abubakar, shared these changes during a press briefing on Thursday.

When BBC Newshour broke the news at 3.30pm New York time yesterday, making a point that Nigeria’s lower legislature rejected and removed a N5bn yacht from supplementary appropriation bill, I was like “really?”

For the government, it may be time to scrutinize the budget team, considering how the House of Representatives tossed everything they sent, from defense to education. That means, even for a young government, the presidency may start making changes.

May Nigeria work, and may the wishes of our leaders align with the aspirations of our citizens: yacht, a floating mansion, has no value for Nigeria today, and I commend the actions of the House of Reps.

Nigerian Lawmakers Remove N5bn Yacht from the N2.17tn Supplementary Appropriation Bill, Following Public Outcry