Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, Chairman of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, has raised concern over the huge sums Nigerians spend on medical treatment abroad, saying the trend drains the country’s resources while strengthening healthcare systems and economies in other countries.
Olowolafe spoke on Thursday at the annual Convocation Ceremony of New Specialists and Doctors of Medicine organised by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), Lagos.
The medical doctor and healthcare development advocate said Nigeria had the human resources, professional expertise and potential to build world-class healthcare institutions capable of providing specialised medical services to Nigerians and attracting patients from other African countries.
He said the country’s continued dependence on foreign healthcare facilities represented an opportunity that must be urgently reclaimed through sustained investment in medical infrastructure and human capital.
“Every year, Nigerians spend enormous sums travelling abroad for medical treatment. Our ambition should be to reverse that trend: first, by building a healthcare system that Nigerians do not need to leave home to access, and ultimately, by making Nigeria a destination for patients from across Africa,” he said.
Olowolafe stressed that investment in healthcare infrastructure must go hand in hand with sustained investment in specialist training, professional development and human capital.
“We are already seeing signs of that future. But hospitals and equipment alone cannot deliver it. People will,” he said.
The educationist, who was conferred with the Honorary Fellowship (FNMC) of the NPMCN at the ceremony, charged the newly qualified specialists and doctors to see themselves as critical actors in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and reduce dependence on foreign medical facilities.
He expressed appreciation to the college for the honour and pledged to continue contributing, within his capacity, to the advancement of medical practice, specialist training and medical education in Nigeria.
The economic implications of medical tourism have continued to attract attention, with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare stating in 2025 that Nigeria could potentially retain an estimated N850 billion reportedly spent abroad on medical tourism annually.
The WHO-Africa Health Observatory Platform has also estimated Nigeria’s annual outbound health tourism expenditure at about $1 billion.
Against this backdrop, Olowolafe called for a healthcare system capable not only of meeting the needs of Nigerians at home but also of attracting patients from across Africa.
He said such a system would help retain healthcare expenditure within the Nigerian economy while creating opportunities for medical professionals and strengthening the country’s healthcare sector.
As part of efforts to support healthcare development, the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation in July 2026 commissioned West Africa’s first EyeSi surgical simulator and inaugurated the Gbemisola Olowolafe Centre for Ophthalmic Simulation at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
The project was undertaken in partnership with the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the Faculty of Ophthalmology, LUTH.
