Nigeria's Medical Tourism Spending Plunges 96% Amidst Domestic Healthcare Expansion

Nigeria's historical reliance on international medical care is undergoing a rapid transformation, with new figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealing a precipitous drop in medical tourism outlays. This significant decline signals a strategic redirection of healthcare utilization towards local facilities within the nation.

According to CBN data spanning January to June 2025, Nigeria's expenditure on medical tourism plummeted by 96.2 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. Spending decreased from $2.38 million in the first half of 2024 to a mere $0.09 million in the corresponding six months of 2025, representing a $2.29 million reduction and one of the most substantial contractions in outbound healthcare expenditure observed recently.

Nigeria's Outbound Healthcare Spending Plummets

The spending patterns reveal a stark contrast between the two periods. In the first half of 2024, medical tourism expenditure began with an unusual surge of $2.30 million in January, before dropping to zero in February, remaining minimal at $0.01 million in March, $0.00 million in April, increasing slightly to $0.05 million in May, and then easing to $0.02 million in June. Conversely, 2025 saw consistently low spending throughout its first six months, peaking at $0.06 million in January, with zero recorded in February and March, a marginal $0.01 million in April, $0.00 million in May, and $0.02 million in June. No month in 2025 surpassed the $0.06 million mark, indicating a sustained downturn rather than a temporary fluctuation.

Domestic Healthcare Capacity Emerges as Key Driver

While foreign exchange limitations and a more stringent economic environment have played a part, healthcare experts increasingly attribute these figures to a deeper, structural evolution: Nigeria's expanding capability to deliver advanced, world-class medical care domestically. Over recent years, substantial private and public investments in healthcare infrastructure, specialized training, and cutting-edge medical technology have significantly broadened the array of complex procedures now accessible within the country, lessening the need for patient travel abroad.

Leading Institutions Elevate Local Care

Several institutions exemplify this shift, bolstering Nigeria's status as an emerging healthcare destination:

• Duchess International Hospital, Lagos: This facility has become a symbol of progress, undertaking intricate procedures previously found only in foreign centers, including 26 successful open-heart surgeries within its initial two years. Its leadership consistently positions the hospital as a local solution to the medical tourism challenge, providing sophisticated care at a fraction of international costs.

• Nordica Fertility Centre: By introducing High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) technology for fibroid treatment, Nordica has removed the necessity for many women to seek non-invasive procedures in Europe, Asia, or the United States. As the first HIFU centre in West Africa, Nordica has not only retained Nigerian patients but also attracted international patients from neighboring countries, effectively reversing the traditional flow of cross-border healthcare.

• The Prostate Centre (TPC): TPC has enhanced Nigeria's healthcare credentials in cancer care and urology with AI-powered HIFU therapy for prostate cancer, robotic surgeries, and non-invasive treatments for enlarged prostates. The centre's capabilities now rival leading international institutions, offering same-day, incision-free procedures with minimal recovery time.

Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme, a UK-based consultant urological and robotic surgeon who has been pivotal in several of these innovations, has consistently stated that Nigeria is no longer constrained by expertise but by scale and public awareness. He asserts that with ongoing training for local surgeons and enhanced access to advanced technologies, Nigerian patients increasingly have “no medical reason” to travel abroad for care.

Policy Reforms and Enhanced Confidence

This assessment appears to be corroborated by the CBN data. Analysts suggest that while the January 2024 expenditure spike might indicate pent-up demand or isolated complex cases, the absence of any rebound in 2025 points to a sustained change in patient behavior. Nigerians who once considered overseas treatment essential are now opting for local hospitals capable of managing complex cardiac, oncological, orthopaedic, fertility, and neurological conditions.

Policy initiatives have also supported this transition. In January 2025, Olayemi Cardoso, CBN governor, launched the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Code, following the introduction of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System in December 2024. These reforms enhanced transparency and accountability within the FX market, making discretionary access to foreign exchange for non-essential spending, including international medical travel, more challenging. Cardoso cautioned against a return to previous practices that allowed privileged access to foreign exchange, noting that such distortions had fueled inflation, weakened the naira, and eroded public trust. According to Olayemi Cardoso, CBN governor, "Practices such as multiple exchange rates and unprecedented ways and means financing inflicted significant damage on market integrity," and he stressed that they must never return.

Beyond FX policy, healthcare professionals contend that growing confidence in domestic systems is the more decisive element. Patient testimonials from Nigerian hospitals performing open-heart surgeries, robotic cancer treatments, and complex reconstructions increasingly demonstrate outcomes comparable to those previously sought abroad, often at substantially reduced costs.

Bottom Line

As Nigeria continues to strengthen its healthcare capacity through public-private partnerships, specialized training, and technology integration, the dramatic reduction in medical tourism spending may signify a pivotal moment. What was once a symbol of systemic weakness is now increasingly seen as an avoidable expense. For the first time in decades, the data indicates that Nigeria is not merely reducing medical tourism due to economic pressure, but rather evolving beyond the need for it entirely, establishing itself as a more competitive healthcare destination with enhanced quality of care and patient travel options.

Read the full article here: https://businessday.ng/health/article/nigerias-medical-tourism-spending-crashes-96-as-local-healthcare-capacity-deepens/