The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has said patients from the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US) and the West African subregion have been flocking to Nigeria for quality healthcare.

Speaking on Tuesday, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said Nigeria was steadily being positioned for medical tourism with the growing hub for quality healthcare as it currently attracts patients not just from the West African sub-region.

Pate who highlighted key decisions aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s healthcare system said, “People are now beginning to come from the sub-region, and even from faraway places like the UK and the US, to receive quality healthcare in Nigeria.

“So despite what we may want to believe about Nigeria’s healthcare system, good things are happening – the transformation that the President promised is beginning to happen.

“We need to sustain it, and we’re investing, and we continue to invest in that direction.”

Pate stated that the most notable was the approval of N12 billion for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, an advanced diagnostic equipment, across six tertiary health institutions.

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He said FEC approved contracts for the procurement and installation of three MRI machines and two CT scanners at: the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (AkwaIbom);

Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta (Ogun State); Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Osun State); Federal Medical Center, Keffi (Nasarawa State); Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (Adamawa State); and Federal Teaching Hospital, Kebbi (Kebbi State).

“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.

Another key decision from the FEC meeting, he said, was Nigeria’s ratification of 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.

The minister explained that this move would expand Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market beyond national borders, allowing locally manufactured 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 Tinubu’s leadership for driving these reforms, emphasising that while challenges remain, Nigeria’s health sector was on a path of transformation.

“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 further said.

Tinubu also approved N80 billion for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of the Alau dam in Borno state.

Situated in the Alau community of Konduga local government area of Borno State in the Northeast region of Nigeria, the dam was constructed between 1984 and 1986. It impounds a major reservoir on the Ngadda River, one of the tributaries of Lake Chad.

In 2024, the dam collapsed, causing catastrophic flooding in Borno State and killing over 150 people, with at least 419,000 people displaced.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, told newsmen after Tuesday’s FEC meeting that Tinubu’s approval during the Council meeting followed the submission of the report of the Ministerial Committee that was set up on the 23rd September 2024 and headed by him for the evaluation of dams in Nigeria.

Utsev said the committee constituted of ministers of finance, environment, works, information, and the National Security Adviser as members and himself as chairman, was inaugurated on October 2, 2024.

His words: The mandate of that committee was to assess all dams in the country and come up with recommendations of how best the dams can be put to use, the areas of water supply, flood control, irrigation and fish farming, among others.

“The committee constituted a sub-committee which coopted members of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council of Dams Experts in Nigeria.

“So the committee swooped into action and brought out recommendations of about 35 dams that have been assessed so far.

“So, today the interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council. We saw some challenges as a result of flooding on the 10th of September last year.

“So, the designs, analysis and everything of that particular dam, Alau dam, was done and presented to the sub-committee, and that report was made before Mr President, and Mr. President graciously gave approval of N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of Alau dam immediately, in Borno State.

“So, as it stands now, the approval for the construction of new rehabilitation of Alua dam has been done by Mr. President, which is awaiting ratification of FEC when all other due process are being observed.

“The Borno state government is working with the subcommittee and members of the Nigerian security advisory office. They are working together to kick-start that project, and we believe that between now and July this year, the first component of that work will be established so that this year there will be no flooding in Maiduguri again.

“Then the other components like desilting will commence by December this year. The project is supposed to expand for 24 months.”

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Nigeria Healthcare Destination For UK, US Citizens – Ali Pate

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