Imabong was the smartest 8-year-old in my street.
We all affectionately referred to her as “small but mighty.” Imabong hated the title, but it was a unanimous choice; she earned the title, and we all adored her.
Teaching children her age and those older than her the feared subject in basic school, mathematics, was quite an accomplishment that none of us could ignore.
I was heartbroken when I found out, a few months after I had relocated from that area, that our precious Imabong was sick and had to be flown abroad for treatment.
I tried calling Mr Akpan, her father, but my efforts to reach him were unsuccessful. So I reached out to his wife, Mrs Folorunsho.
“She was diagnosed with leukaemia,” Mrs Folorunsho said over the phone in a voice that seemed to have been crying for quite a long period of time.
“We sold everything”, she continued, “we had to, what choice did we have? It was either her or the money, and my daughter comes first before any material possession”, she affirmed.
My heart sank when I heard what they’ve been through as a family.
This news sent shockwaves through me. It was a reminder of a cruel reality thousands of Nigerian families are forced to live with—choosing between financial ruin or death.
According to data from CBN, in 2024 alone, Nigeria spent about $2.39 million on medical tourism. This astronomical sum represents not just money, but shattered dreams, emptied bank accounts, and families torn apart by an impossible choice.
A Healthcare System On Life Support
Every year, Africa loses an estimated $10 billion annually to medical tourism, with Nigeria alone accounting for $2 billion.
Although these are statistics and data, it is worth noting that behind these cold figures are warm bodies—Nigerian citizens who deserve world-class healthcare at home but are instead forced to travel abroad to access it.
The pictures painted by these numbers are quite devastating, to say the least. According to verified reports published by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the country had only 74,543 registered doctors for a population of about 218 million in 2022—a doctor-patient ratio of 1:3,500, a total dismay compared with the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of 1:600.”
What Are Nigerians Seeking Abroad?
Medical tourism is a term used to describe people travelling outside their home country for medical treatment.
The circumstances that push Nigerians abroad demonstrate the severity of our healthcare crisis:
At least $29.29 billion was spent on foreign medical treatment by Nigerians during the tenure of late President Muhammadu Buhari, translating to an annual spend of about $3.6 billion over his eight-year tenure.
Well, if the president himself seeks medical care outside Nigeria’s shores, why wouldn’t the masses?
There is an African idiom that says, “If a man does not eat at home, he may never give his wife enough money to cook a good pot of soup”.
It would interest you to know that over 60% of the money spent on medical tourism annually is dedicated to four crucial specialities: Oncology, Orthopaedics, Nephrology, and Cardiology.
Research further shows that 46.1% of medical tourists cite the high quality of care provided in destination countries, while 34.9% point to the availability of experts who use the latest medical innovations.
However, these illnesses are not limited to life-threatening ones alone. According to research, 34.2% of Nigerian medical tourists go overseas for regular checks, 10.5% for cardiac issues, and 7.9% for treatment of breast and prostate cancer procedures that ought to be easily accessible in a working healthcare system.
The Nigerian Government’s negligence in improving the Nation’s healthcare sector has led to outcomes that put Nigerians at a health disadvantage.
Let’s talk about uncomfortable statistics, shall we?
- Nigeria has one hospital or clinic for every 5,900 people.
- Many hospitals suffer from overcrowding, dilapidated premises, inadequate maintenance, prescription shortages, and a lack of clean water, as well as a lack of modern medical equipment.
- Nigeria heavily relies on imports to meet over 98% of its medical equipment needs.
- Over 90% of Nigerians lack health insurance and may never be beneficiaries of such an amenity.
- Nigeria has only 0.8 hospital beds per thousand residents, and the average life expectancy is 54 years, among the lowest in West Africa.
Where Nigerians Go To Stay Alive
The destinations tell their own story of desperation and hope:
India: The allure is obvious; healthcare in India offers high-quality treatment at a fraction of the cost in the US and the UK.
United Arab Emirates: The UAE offers orthopaedic, weight-loss, wellness, and cosmetic procedures in top-notch facilities, though they are more costly than in India.
United Kingdom: Its internationally renowned medical facilities, and the fact that many Nigerians already have ties in the United Kingdom, make it a preferred destination. However, compared to Asian locations, prices are much higher.
Depending on their individual medical demands and financial capacity, many Nigerians may also consider China, Malaysia, and South Africa as alternatives.
The Root Causes: Why Nigeria’s Healthcare System is Failing
- Chronic Underfunding: According to a study, over 25% of Nigeria’s annual healthcare expenditure is spent on medical tourism, a figure the country’s health minister called a serious economic and foreign-exchange drain.
- Lack of Infrastructure and Equipment: Over 98% of Nigeria’s equipment needs are met through imports, indicating the country’s heavy reliance on them.
- Corruption and Mismanagement: In 2017, the State House Medical Centre received 3.8 billion naira, or 1% of Nigeria’s total public health budget for its 170 million inhabitants, to treat fewer than 1,000 patients.
- The Loss of Trust: According to research, over 59% of respondents said they travelled overseas for medical treatment because the quality of care received there is superior to that in their own country.
- Brain Drain: Nigeria also suffers from brain drain in its struggling healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals, especially Nurses and Doctors, are constantly migrating out of the country to seek greener pastures in more developed countries, leaving behind a gap that’s almost impossible to fill.
What Must Be Done
- Massive Investment In Infrastructure: Nigeria must become more intentional about investing in its healthcare industry. The government needs to build more hospitals, invest in training and research and pay closer attention to primary healthcare.
- Competitive Compensation For Healthcare Professionals: Healthcare professionals should earn competitive salaries that reflect their skills and dedication.
- Accountability And Good Governance: More than just lip service is needed to reap the benefits of democracy at home; consistent hospital investment, medical staff training, and comprehensive insurance coverage are all necessary.
- Ban Medical Tourism For Government Officials: This may sound more aggressive, but politicians would be personally motivated to improve Nigerian hospitals if they were required to utilise them.
The Choice We Are All Faced With
For every day that passes without meaningful reforms in our healthcare system, Nigerians like Immabong will have to endure immense financial and emotional stress to access healthcare.
Nigeria needs to put in more effort in restructuring its healthcare industry.
There’s so much at stake, and average Nigerians can’t continue to endure enormous financial stress to afford trips abroad for healthcare that should be provided at home.
A robust, efficient health finance strategy is needed to address medical tourism in Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria budgets about $6 per Nigerian for healthcare, which is insufficient if we ever want to eliminate medical tourism.
The problem is multifaceted, deep-seated, and very old. If Nigeria had invested in its healthcare industry earlier, we wouldn’t be where we are today. What we see today is the result of many, many decades of negligence, culminating in a problem that seems almost impossible to solve.
Nevertheless, we can still salvage the situation by doing the right thing—invest strategically and aggressively in our healthcare industry.
