Minister of State for Health Indicted?

Minister of State for Health Alhaji Sulaiman Bello

We were alarmed by this morning's scandalous headline from The Daily Trust, but were quickly reassured that the financial shenanigans being reported has nothing to do with the Federal Ministry of Health. Not again!

The newspaper reported that the Minister of State for Health, Alhaji Sulaiman Bello has been indicted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged N11.2 million bribe.

However, the alleged offense was purportedly committed during Alhaji Bello's previous post as Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The minister was alleged to have unlawfully solicited the sum of N11.2m from the governor of Adamawa State and given a N0.5 million bribe to an official of INEC. Court hearing has been set for January 31st, 2011.

We should point out that this is merely an allegation and the Minister may be entirely innocent of these charges. After all, the ICPC does not have a stellar record of winning convictions against those public officials it has taken to trial.

Reflections on Brain Drain and Brain Gain in Nigeria

Over the holidays, a colleague of mine who has a thriving practice here in the United States shocked me and many of our friends when he said he was planning on returning home to Nigeria to set up a private clinical practice. In fact, he said he has shipped personal belongings and medical equipments to Nigeria. He said he believes he has learned all there is to learn in advances in medical science having undergone training in the United Kingdom and the United States. He said it is time to return to Nigeria and give Nigerians the benefit of the expertise he has acquired over the almost twenty five years since left the shores of Nigeria in search of greener pastures. One of our colleagues jokingly asked if the pastures were no longer and that he hoped he was making the right decision.

Today as I reflect on this conversation with our friend, I am once again drawn into the ever contentious exchanges on “Brain drain” and Brain gain”. Many have argued that my Nigerian professionals including physicians would not have reached full potentials and achieved professional expertise and competence if they had remained in Nigeria. May be and may be not. Others argue that even if this was the case, Nigerian professionals should return home after their training to contribute to the development of the country; after all to whom much is given much is expected. This is so much so when one remembers that most individuals in my generation were literally paid to go school. We all received bursaries, scholarships, and all kinds of grant to attend universities in Nigeria, and did not pay tuition.

So my friend is turning brain drain into brain gain by returning to Nigeria to contribute his expertise to health care delivery. Returning home to Nigeria is one way of turning brain drain into brain gain. Unfortunately, many Nigerian professionals can not take such giant leaps for fear of failure, insecurity, and an unfriendly practice environment that does not engender professional satisfaction and fulfillment. For the majority for whom returning home is not feasible, there should be other ways to give back to Nigeria and contribute to her development. Nigerian professional organizations in the Diaspora need to develop constructive, long-term sustainable strategies to develop particularly the education and health sector in Nigeria. The Diaspora Commission set up over a year ago is still bugged down with bureaucracy and has no tangible achievements to date. During my days in academia, I had Indian colleagues who go to India every summer to teach in medical schools and provide development workshops to practicing physicians. Such arrangements are done through their professional associations, are not done sporadically for self-recognition, develop clout, or for personal or political gains, but regularly in the overall interest of Indians.

Wherever you stand, or whatever your believes, “Brain drain” or “Brain gain” one thing is clear; Nigerians in diaspora particularly professionals need to be more involved in the rebuilding of the Nigerian state.

Partners in (Nigerian) Health

A report from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) highlights a new initiative – the Data Inventory and Documentation Initiative (DIDI) – that aims to better align Nigeria’s health survey database with international standards. The report argues that such data “are invaluable resources for statisticians, researchers and analysts”, a statement that could very easily be extended to include benefits for health care professionals. After all, proper cataloging of health information could mean the difference between treating 200 patients today (preventing the spread of a disease) and treating 20,000 patients tomorrow in a full blown epidemic. I admit that this is an extreme example, but then again, health care is all about extremes. We can’t expect any less when we’re dealing so intimately with human life.

In any case, the report identifies the International Household Survey Network (IHSN), the World Bank, *PARIS21, the International Health Facility Assessment Network and USAID, as organizations that will help the FMOH with this transition. **MEASURE Evaluation will provide much of the technical support. In addition, the ministry has requested that data from private surveys (conducted by individuals and organizations) be contributed to the program. In all, it seems like a multi-faceted effort that is well poised to do wonders for the health situation in Nigeria.

It’s an incredibly fortunate coincidence that the FMOH would launch such a program shortly after the appointment of ex-minister of health, Babatunde Osotimehin to the position of Executive Director at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). From such a position, Osotimehin can contribute greatly to programs like DIDI and thankfully, he seems ready to do just that. In a visit to his successor at the ministry (Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu), Osotimehin re-affirmed his dedication to the health sector, promising to “provide more for Nigeria than ever before.” Embracing the sentiment, Chukwu praised the efforts of the ex-minister, asserting that his appointment at the UNFPA was a clear indicator of his exemplary leadership during his tenure.

Photo courtesy of the UNFPA (https://www.unfpa.org/public/home/news/pid/7103)

This alliance is encouraging on multiple levels. Most clearly, it holds great promise for the development of epidemiology and heath care management in Nigeria. In addition, it legitimizes Nigeria’s position as a country that has the potential to be a forerunner in global health. Very importantly, it’s a great example of a smooth hand-over in a leadership position, something that Nigeria doesn’t see very often. Let’s hope that the Nigeria-UNFPA relationship will live up to expectation and ultimately, help programs like DIDI reach their full potential.

* PARIS 21 - Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (Founded in November 1999 by the United Nations)

** MEASURE Evaluation - Monitoring and Evaluation to Assess and Use Results (Program sponsored by USAID)