Posted on: Fri 04-07-2025

In a move that has sparked outrage among healthcare professionals, the Federal Government of Nigeria has deployed specialist nurses to Jamaica under the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) program—despite the country’s worsening healthcare crisis and chronic shortage of medical personnel.

The deployment, announced in Abuja by the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, was framed as a gesture of South-South cooperation. Officials described it as a proud moment in Nigeria’s diplomatic history. But critics argue it’s a tone-deaf decision that prioritizes international image over domestic health needs.

Since its inception in 1987, the TAC scheme has sent Nigerian professionals abroad to support developing nations. This latest batch includes psychiatric nurses, public health experts, and nurse educators—exactly the kind of professionals Nigeria is struggling to retain.

Healthcare workers and observers have questioned the logic of sending skilled nurses overseas when hospitals across Nigeria are understaffed, underfunded, and overwhelmed. Many see it as a continuation of the government’s failure to invest meaningfully in the local health sector.

One of the deployed nurses called the opportunity “a dream come true,” but for many Nigerians, it’s a nightmare that reflects misplaced priorities. The volunteers were urged to serve with humility and integrity, but back home, their colleagues are battling burnout, poor pay, and unsafe working conditions.

As the government celebrates this diplomatic gesture, the question remains: who will care for the millions of Nigerians left behind?

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