Expert Calls for Greater Investment in Nigeria’s Healthcare to Reverse Trend
Nigeria’s expenditure on medical tourism has reached a staggering $2.38 million in the first half of 2024, highlighting a significant financial outflow from the country. Investigations by The Punch reveal that Nigerians spent this amount on overseas healthcare services within just six months, according to a report from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The data, which details foreign exchange allocations for health and social services, shows that $2.3 million was spent in January alone, followed by significantly smaller amounts in subsequent months.
A closer look at the CBN’s report reveals no expenditure in February and April, while only $10,000 was spent in March, $50,000 in May, and $20,000 in June. Comparatively, the total spent on medical tourism in the first half of 2024 far exceeds the $690,000 recorded between July and December 2023, marking a sharp increase of $1.69 million.
Photo Source: Armada News.
However, compared to the first half of 2023, when $3.13 million was spent on foreign healthcare services, the figures represent a reduction of $750,000.
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This spike in medical tourism costs comes despite President Bola Tinubu’s launch of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority’s healthcare expansion program. The initiative, aimed at retraining 120,000 frontline health workers, was designed to reverse the nation’s reliance on foreign healthcare by improving local medical infrastructure.
Reacting to the findings, Professor Tanimola Akande, a public health expert at the University of Ilorin and former National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, expressed concern over the persistent outflow of funds for medical treatment abroad. “The elites continue to drive medical tourism, which shows that recent investments in private healthcare facilities in Nigeria have not yet significantly reduced this trend,” he noted.
Photo Source: Maternal and Child Survival Program.
Akande emphasised the need for government intervention, urging authorities to invest in local healthcare infrastructure. He argued that funds spent on medical tourism could be redirected to upgrade domestic health services, which would not only improve care quality but also help address the country’s growing brain drain of healthcare professionals.
“The government’s role in fostering an environment where high-quality healthcare can thrive is crucial to reducing Nigeria’s reliance on foreign medical services,” Akande added.