9 Years in the Diaspora: Dr Haroun Urges Nigerians to Return and Rebuild

Nigerian medical doctor and humanitarian advocate, Dr Yusuf Ademola Haroun, popularly known as Dr Love, founder & CEO of love for health organization has opened up in a recent interview about his nine-year sojourn overseas and the lessons that have shaped his commitment to national development upon his return.

Marking April 16, 2025, as exactly nine years since he first left Nigerian soil in pursuit of greener pastures, Dr Haroun reflected on his journey that began with “suitcases at hand and hopes in heart.”

In his words, “We merely referred to it as ‘greener pastures,’ yet to the majority of us, it wasn’t necessarily a choice; it was plain survival, necessitated by a glimmer of ambition, shallow experience, and urge to move on.”

Now back in Nigeria, Dr Haroun said his return was not by chance but by intention. “I came back to reform — to give, to serve, to lead where I am able. To come back not just with ideas, but with action. Not with memory, but with momentum. Our country deserves more than those who leave. It needs those who come back with purpose,” he stated.

During the interview, he spoke candidly about the emotional and physical challenges of living abroad — from cultural adaptation and professional growth to enduring moments of isolation. But beyond the struggle, Dr Haroun emphasized the transformation that comes from such an experience.

“In hindsight, I did not go the easy route. Overseas, I saw both growing pains and triumphs, but there was also agony, isolation, and hard-won comprehension to be gained only by enduring it.”

He called on fellow Nigerians abroad, especially professionals, to consider returning home with a mindset to contribute meaningfully to national development. He noted that the country is in dire need of not just critics or expatriates, but active contributors on the ground.

“We are at a point in time when hope is too often clouded by headlines in the news, when too many have lost confidence in national progress. But I do believe in the power of one — one voice, one action, one example,” Dr Haroun said.

He further added, “To those still out there building, grinding, dreaming: I see you. To those we’ve lost along the way, your dreams live on through us. And to my fellow returnees: let’s not just come home. Let’s come home with purpose.”

Dr Haroun’s heartfelt account paints a vivid picture of the Nigerian diaspora experience and offers a rallying call for a new generation of returnees to become agents of change.

His story is not just a personal journey, but a reflection of the potential embedded in Nigerians both at home and abroad — a reminder that the real work begins not when we leave, but when we return to build.