Abuja: Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, has highlighted the necessity for Nigeria and Africa to make deliberate investments in knowledge production, research, and medical education as a strategy to reverse the ongoing trend of medical tourism. Delivering the keynote address at the Nigerian Medical Association’s Healthcare and Medical Expo 2.0, themed ‘Reversing Medical Tourism: Africans Investing in Africa,’ Olowolafe focused on the importance of education-driven healthcare transformation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Olowolafe emphasized that investment in faculty development and modern training methodologies will enable local doctors to maintain their global competitiveness while remaining relevant within their own regions. He pointed out that Nigeria’s medical education is already respected internationally, despite the challenges posed by brain drain, which both weakens local healthcare systems and simultaneously validates the quality of Nigerian training. Olowolafe urged for increased investment in education to retain and expand the pool of skilled professionals.
He further stressed the importance of transforming Africa from a consumer of foreign medical solutions into a producer of innovative medical breakthroughs. This transformation, he argued, could be achieved through collaborations among universities, associations, and private sector investors. Such collaborations, he said, would help build pipelines of talent, research, and innovation, thereby ensuring that Africa’s brightest minds remain committed to the continent’s healthcare future.
Olowolafe also appealed to donors to support local systems rather than overshadow them, advocating for resources to be channeled towards training local surgeons instead of funding overseas charity missions. He emphasized that reversing medical tourism is not solely a government responsibility but a shared moral duty among practitioners, policymakers, investors, and civil society to protect Africa’s healthcare sovereignty.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, pointed out that more than 30 percent of Nigeria’s annual budget equivalent is lost to medical tourism, describing it as a significant economic and foreign exchange drain. Salako praised the Nigerian Medical Association for leading the discourse, highlighting that the Tinubu administration is implementing strategies to promote local medical services and attract medical travel to Nigeria.
Salako identified oncology, orthopaedics, nephrology, and cardiology as key drivers of medical tourism, with 40 percent of Nigerians traveling abroad for cancer treatments. He mentioned the establishment of the National Tertiary Health Institution Standards Committee, which aims to rate hospitals by care quality to help citizens make informed healthcare choices.
President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, described the expo as a reflection of Africa’s determination to reclaim ownership of its health systems and medical advancements. Audu noted that Africa loses between five and seven billion dollars annually to medical tourism, which drains economies and weakens public confidence in domestic healthcare capabilities.
Audu added that the success of Nigerian-trained doctors abroad proves the existence of local expertise, although a lack of awareness and confidence leads patients to seek treatment overseas. The NMA, he explained, initiated the expo to enhance awareness, attract foreign patients, and position Nigeria as a hub for advanced and affordable medical services across the continent. ‘To achieve this vision, we must invest in health financing, policies, and enabling environments that make Nigeria’s healthcare globally competitive,’ Audu concluded during the closing session.