Nigerians spent N3.7bn on medical tourism in nine months –Report
Nigerians spent about $2.39m or N3.7bn on foreign healthcare-related services from January to September 2024, findings by The PUNCH have shown.
This is according to a report from the Central Bank of Nigeria on the amount spent on health-related and social services under the sectoral utilisation of foreign exchange.
A breakdown of the report showed that $2.3m was spent in January; $0.00m in February; $0.01m in March; $0.00m in April; $0.05m in May; and $0.02m in June.
In July, $0.00m was spent; $0.00m was spent in August; and $0.10m was spent in September.
Our correspondent observed that the amount spent on foreign healthcare-related services in the first nine of 2023 ($3.45m) was more than that of the first nine months of 2024.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to becoming a top destination for medical tourism in Nigeria and West Africa.
Abayomi, who spoke at the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency’s World Patient Safety Day in Lagos, stressed the Lagos State Government’s ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and effective healthcare delivery system.
He noted that this included bold steps aimed at improving the health sector through innovation and technology.
“We have a mandate from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to meet ambitious targets. These include establishing universal healthcare coverage in this mega city and making Lagos the number one destination for medical tourism in Nigeria, West Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa,” Abayomi said.
Also, on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, emphasised that the Federal Government was strengthening the tertiary healthcare system to address medical tourism.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s agenda prioritised healthcare as a fundamental right for all Nigerians.
He said, “The tertiary healthcare system in our country is being strengthened and the need to travel outside the country for some critical care service like kidney transplantation is being addressed.”
Last year, President Tinubu launched the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority-Healthcare Expansion Programme and the retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers to improve the health and social well-being of Nigerians, drive economic development, and position Nigeria as a healthcare hub within Africa.
The expansion programme is a major milestone in the health sector, as the government has flagged off 10 world-class healthcare facilities specialising in oncology and diagnostics across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
Tinubu said beyond providing essential healthcare to Nigerians, these facilities would reverse the trend of outbound medical tourism.
