Experts Advocate Infrastructure Devt, Quality Care To Reverse $1.1bn Annual Medical Tourism

Health experts have emphasised that Nigeria must urgently bolster its healthcare infrastructure, elevate service quality and commit to ongoing specialist training to reverse the nation’s alarming $1.1 billion annual loss to medical tourism.

The call was made at a symposium themed, “Reversing Medical Tourism: Impact of Diaspora Doctors on the Nigerian Healthcare System,” organised by the YBC 2000 set of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.

Estimates from health experts and researchers indicate Nigerians spend between $1 billion and $2 billion yearly on treatment abroad, with Afreximbank’s 2025 figures pegging the figure at $1.1 billion. These are essentially numbers from people who have actually declared their reasons for travelling abroad.

In his keynote address, the director general of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, pointed out that the issue is far more than a domestic health challenge.

“We’re dealing with a very complex issue, and one of the mistakes we always make is to assume that it’s just a pure health sector issue. But we’re dealing with bigger issues around the labour market globally. Issues around demographic changes in populations around the world, and what role Africa is beginning to play as a net exporter of labour across multiple sectors,” he said.

Ohiri pinpointed inadequate facilities, poor service delivery and a shortage of highly trained specialists as the main drivers forcing thousands of Nigerians to seek care overseas each year.

He drew attention to Afreximbank’s estimates, noting that the medical sector represents a vast market opportunity lost when patients travel. “When people travel, that money is spent on other health systems, and that’s money that could have been in the Nigerian health system, developing our own health system, but others are beneficiaries of it.

And in fact, many countries right now, even in our neighbouring African countries, are building their health tourism sector with an eye on Nigeria.

This, Ohiri explained, traps Nigeria in a vicious cycle of underfunding. “Compared to other countries, Nigeria allocates a relatively low proportion of its capital to healthcare, coupled with limited financial protection for patients. The result? Poor quality of care and unreliable, unpredictable health outcomes. Therefore, patients who need care would go wherever they can find it.

“Those who can afford it will go abroad. Which also means low revenue within the health system and a reduced ability to invest in capacity, training and quality. And that also goes back to the low funding. So we are trapped in a vicious cycle that leads to medical tourism,” he said.

To break free, Ohiri emphasised heavy investment in the health system, a priority under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has significantly increased the healthcare budget.

A plastic surgeon based in Mansfield, Texas, Dr Ozoma Ben Gbulie, said the problem cannot be solved by restricting doctors or patients from seeking opportunities abroad. Instead, he argued, Nigeria must invest in healthcare infrastructure and training at every level.

The permanent secretary of Lagos State Health District 5, Dr Oladapo Asiyanbi, emphasised the need to expand the workforce and improve the economic environment.

“If you produce 100 health professionals and 40 leave, that’s almost half gone. But if you produce 500 and 40 leaves, that’s less than 10 per cent. We must train more, make the environment conducive, and attract those who have left to return and invest,” he said.