21/07/2025
Nigerians Spend Over $3.6 Billion Annually on Foreign Healthcare Under Buhari
Abuja, July 21, 2025 — Over the course of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-term tenure (2015–2023), Nigerians have collectively spent upwards of $3.6 billion each year seeking medical treatment abroad. This staggering sum highlights the enduring challenges facing Nigeria’s domestic healthcare system.
A 2025 BusinessDay analysis reported that, despite Buhari's early promise to curb medical tourism among civil servants, Nigeria’s affluent and elite population continued to travel overseas for treatment—estimated at $1 billion to $1.6 billion annually, primarily for oncology, orthopaedics, nephrology, and cardiology
Over his eight-year presidency, Buhari reportedly spent at least 237 days in the UK for medical care, with these trips costing the government millions in logistical support
Finance Minister Lai Mohammed warned earlier that annual outflows of $1.2–1.6 billion for medical tourism placed serious strain on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves
Tribune Online Similarly, Tribune Online reported that combined state and federal healthcare budgets rarely exceeded spending on overseas treatment—a striking example being the 2024 federal health allocation of N1.336 trillion, which fell short of the estimated $1 billion spent abroad that year
Underlying factors include severe shortages of medical professionals—with only about 4 doctors per 10,000 people, far below the WHO standard—and crumbling infrastructure at public hospitals
A recent report found that Nigeria lost over $2 billion since 2010 to the training of doctors who ultimately emigrated
Despite major investments in facilities like Lagos’s Duchess International Hospital, which received CBN‑backed funding to boost local capabilities, analysts caution that without structural reforms—improved equipment, better pay, and stronger healthcare governance—capital flight via medical tourism will continue
Why It Matters:
Erosion of FX reserves: Funds sent abroad for healthcare weaken the naira and hinder investment in local health improvements.
Brain drain: The migration of medical professionals exacerbates the shortage of skilled staff within Nigeria.
Funding imbalance: Public budgets prioritize foreign treatment over domestic facility upgrades.
With Nigerians still spending an estimated $3.6 billion annually on foreign medical services, there’s growing pressure for the federal government and states to make healthcare a sustainable, priority investment.
Pundits argue that unless comprehensive healthcare reforms are implemented—including enhanced funding, incentive structures, and infrastructure modernization—Nigeria risks perpetuating a cycle of underdevelopment in its domestic health sector.