Nigerians used about $2.38 million on foreign healthcare services from January to June 2024, as revealed by findings from *The PUNCH*.
According to a report from the Central Bank of Nigeria, detailing foreign exchange spent on health-related and social services, the breakdown showed $2.3 million was used in January; $0.00 million in February; $0.01 million in March; $0.00 million in April; $0.05 million in May; and $0.02 million in June.
Our correspondent noted that this spending was higher than the $0.69 million used from July to December 2023, marking a $1.69 million increase in the first half of 2024. However, compared to the first half of 2023, where $3.13 million was spent, there was a $0.75 million decrease.
When President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority’s healthcare expansion programme, aimed at retraining 120,000 frontline health workers, he stated that this initiative would help curb outbound medical tourism.
Commenting on the matter, Professor Tanimola Akande, a public health expert from the University of Ilorin, highlighted that the continued rise in medical tourism costs reflects the ongoing reliance on seeking care abroad. He noted that although there have been investments in private health facilities in Nigeria, they have not yet significantly reduced the cost of medical tourism.
Akande emphasised the importance of channelling these funds towards improving local healthcare infrastructure, which could help mitigate the need for Nigerians to seek medical care outside the country. He also urged the government to increase investment in quality healthcare and address the brain drain to create an environment where top-tier healthcare can thrive within Nigeria.
