Guess What! Medical Tourism Is Slowing Down In Nigeria. And it’s Real. Here Are The facts:
Outbound medical tourism is showing signs of decline. While Nigerians still spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on foreign healthcare, recent CBN data shows a sharp drop in forex allocation for medical travel—from $3.82 million in 2023 to just $2.41 million officially recorded in 2024. Over 95% of 2024’s spending occurred in January, with six months recording zero allocation. That’s not just a dip—it’s a signal of change.
Why? Because Nigeria is finally treating healthcare as a legacy, not a luxury.
But what about Japa?
Yes, over 15,000 Nigerian doctors currently practice abroad. The broader health-worker migration is significant, though not as high as the oft-cited figure of 94,000.
Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio is estimated at 1:8,000—far above the WHO’s recommended 1:600. Still, the tide is turning.
The Federal Government is responding with bold reforms:• Retraining 120,000 frontline health workers•...
