By Ameh Gabriel
Highlighting the growing concern of medical tourism draining Nigeria’s economy, Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized the need for sustainable, home-grown solutions. She made this call during the official launch of the Medville Medical City project in Uvuru, Mbaise, Imo State a transformative healthcare facility initiated by Mbaise USA to elevate rural medical care in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has called on Nigerians in the diaspora to shift focus from foreign medical tourism to investing in Nigeria’s healthcare system and broader national development. Speaking passionately at the 16th Annual Mbaise USA Convention held in Minnesota, the former ambassador urged diaspora communities to replicate the quality infrastructure and services they enjoy abroad in their home regions.
“This initiative is not just a health project it is a blueprint for reversing medical brain drain and building trust in our local healthcare system,” she stated, while commending the vision of Dr. Nancy Akunna, the brain behind the project.
The Medville Medical City is expected to offer cutting-edge medical services, professional training programs, and a business-friendly environment that promotes innovation in healthcare delivery. Odumegwu-Ojukwu praised Mbaise USA’s consistent contributions to education, infrastructure, and community development, citing their efforts as aligning with Nigeria’s foreign policy framework the “4Ds”: Democracy, Diaspora, Demography, and Development and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She reaffirmed that both the federal government and the Imo State government are solidly behind the Medville project and pledged her ministry’s full support to see it through.
Also in attendance was Dr. Priscilla Otti, wife of the Abia State Governor, who described the project as a beacon of hope for rural development and pledged Abia State’s willingness to pursue similar initiatives. Other dignitaries included Frank Nneji (Chairman, ABC Transport), Sir Stanley Amuchie (ED, Fidelity Bank), Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, and religious leaders from both Catholic and Anglican dioceses of Mbaise.
Leaders of Mbaise USA Ezeji Alozie Aguwa and Dr. Charles Iwejuo outlined the organization’s broader vision of using strategic diaspora investments to build a digitally inclusive and healthy Nigerian economy.
Dr. Akunna described the Medville concept as a convergence of healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship, aimed at reshaping how rural communities access medical services.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s message was clear and resounding: The time has come for Nigerians abroad to be more than observers they must be architects of the nation’s development, beginning with healthcare.
