President Bola Tinubu has urged the West African College of Physicians to develop practical solutions to the growing migration of doctors from Nigeria and other West African countries in search of better opportunities abroad.

The President reportedly gave the charge during a meeting with the college’s leadership, which disclosed the development at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday as the institution commenced activities marking its 50th anniversary and annual general and scientific meeting.

The college’s Assistant Secretary-General, Hasibu Galadanci, said addressing the migration of medical professionals, popularly known as “Japa”, was one of the major issues Tinubu asked the institution to examine.

Galadanci explained that the conference would feature a dedicated session on the factors pushing healthcare workers out of their home countries and the conditions attracting them to other nations.

He described medical migration as a complex issue that required a comprehensive assessment rather than a single solution.

The conference is also expected to examine the growing use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice and the ethical questions surrounding its application in patient care.

The meeting, which began on Saturday, will run until October 28 in Abuja, bringing together medical specialists, researchers and health policymakers to discuss workforce retention, healthcare delivery, postgraduate medical education and other challenges affecting health systems across West Africa.

The college’s President, Mamadou Ka, said the golden jubilee offered an opportunity to celebrate the institution’s founding members, assess its achievements over five decades and establish priorities for the future of specialist medical training and healthcare delivery.

Ka disclosed that the college conferred an honorary fellowship on Tinubu on October 22 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He described the recognition as one of the institution’s highest honours and noted that it was the eighth time the fellowship had been awarded.

He also expressed appreciation to the President, the Federal Government and Nigerians for hosting the anniversary gathering.

Meanwhile, the college said it was working with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to implement precautionary measures following the Federal Government’s announcement of a confirmed Ebola virus disease case in Nigeria.

The measures include adherence to official public health guidelines, health screening and the provision of hand-hygiene facilities at venue entrances, alongside regular updates as official guidance changes.

The college’s Secretary-General, Musa Dankyau, said West Africa had made considerable progress in specialist medical training over the past 50 years, although retaining trained professionals remained a major challenge.

He noted that the institution had helped expand opportunities for doctors to undertake postgraduate specialist training within the region, reducing the need for many to travel to Europe for such qualifications.

According to the college, it was established in 1976 by five English-speaking West African countries to promote postgraduate medical education and professional standards. It has since expanded to include countries across the region that use English, French and Portuguese.

The institution has six faculties covering community health, family medicine, internal medicine, laboratory medicine, paediatrics and psychiatry. It currently has 13 national chapters and is headquartered in Lagos, with plans to extend its reach across all 15 West African countries.

The anniversary programme includes medical outreach activities, the unveiling of a 50th-anniversary monument, scientific presentations, exhibitions and discussions on healthcare delivery.

Other sessions will focus on maternal and child health, reproductive healthcare, hospital performance, kidney disease, dementia, mental health and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in medicine.

Galadanci said recommendations from the scientific sessions would be compiled into a communiqué to guide advocacy and engagement with governments and regional institutions.

The meeting is expected to conclude with the college’s annual general meeting, closing ceremony and anniversary dinner.