The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commended Dr. Philip Ozuah, a Nigerian-American medical professional, for his $1 million (approximately ₦1.6 billion) donation to the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
The donation, made by Dr. Ozuah—a 1985 alumnus of the institution and current President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine in New York—was used to fund the construction of six blocks of student hostels at the College.
The newly completed facilities were officially inaugurated in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Dabiri-Erewa, who attended the commissioning ceremony, described Dr. Ozuah’s gesture as an outstanding example of philanthropy and a beacon of hope for the future of healthcare and education in Nigeria.
She urged other Nigerians in the diaspora to emulate such acts of generosity and national commitment.
She also praised the 1985 alumni set of the University College Hospital (UCH) for initiating the hostel project, emphasizing that the collaboration between the diaspora community and institutions in Nigeria continues to play a critical role in revitalizing the country’s healthcare sector.
Highlighting recent progress made through diaspora contributions, Dabiri-Erewa revealed that more than 10 hospitals have been established in Nigeria over the past four years by diaspora doctors.
Among them is the African Medical Centre of Excellence recently commissioned in Abuja.
She also noted the increasing number of medical missions carried out by Nigerian health professionals abroad.
According to the NIDCOM boss, with better organization and structural collaboration, the collective expertise of Nigerian medical practitioners at home and abroad could significantly curb the country’s dependency on medical tourism and ultimately position Nigeria as a hub for world-class healthcare services.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>PRESS STATEMENT<br><br>DABIRI-EREWA COMMENDS DR PHILIP OZUAH, A DIASPORAN, FOR DONATING A ONE- MILLION DOLLAR STUDENT HOSTEL TO UCH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE<br><br>Abuja, June 13, 2025: Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has applauded the kind… <a href=”https://t.co/gtojadfeMF”>pic.twitter.com/gtojadfeMF</a></p>— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) <a href=”https://twitter.com/nidcom_gov/status/1933536629194461335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
“Undoubtedly, we can reverse the trend of medical tourism if we organise and harness the expertise of our health practitioners both at home and abroad,” she said
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