Health

Nigeria Now Attracts Patients From US, UK For Quality Healthcare – FG

Nigeria Now Attracts Patients From US, UK For Quality Healthcare – FG
  • PublishedFebruary 5, 2025

The Federal Government has said Nigeria is becoming a hub for quality healthcare, attracting patients from the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond West Africa.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He announced the approval of N12 billion for the procurement and installation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scanners in six tertiary hospitals.

According to him, “People are now beginning to come from the subregion, and even from faraway places like the UK and the US, to receive quality healthcare in Nigeria.

“Despite the challenges we face, significant progress is being made, and the transformation promised by President Tinubu is already taking shape.”

The approved funds will be used to equip the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (Akwa Ibom), Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta (Ogun), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Osun), Federal Medical Centre, Keffi (Nasarawa), Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (Adamawa), and Federal Teaching Hospital, Kebbi (Kebbi).

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“This investment in critical diagnostic infrastructure is part of a broader effort to expand Nigeria’s health system capacity, ensuring that our tertiary institutions can offer world-class medical services,” Pate noted.

FEC also ratified the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, which aims to harmonise medical regulatory standards across the continent.

Adopted by the African Union in 2019, the treaty seeks to improve access to safe, high-quality, and effective medical products through a Pan-African regulatory framework.

“So far, 37 African Union member states have signed the treaty, with 26 having ratified it. Today, the Federal Executive Council directed that Nigeria take all necessary actions to give full effect to this treaty,” Pate stated.

He explained that the move would open Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market to the rest of Africa, allowing locally produced medical products to meet continental standards.

“What we produce here will not just be ‘Made in Nigeria,’ but over time, it will be recognised as ‘Made in Africa.’ This is a significant step towards self-sufficiency in medical products and pharmaceutical industrialisation,” he added.

Pate credited President Tinubu’s leadership for driving these reforms, stating that Nigeria’s health sector is undergoing transformation despite existing challenges.

“We are investing in infrastructure, human resources, and regulatory frameworks to create a healthcare system that Nigerians can rely on and that attracts patients from across the globe,” he said.

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