₦airaland Forum

Our leaders are always going abroad for medical treatment.

🇳🇬 Nigerian Leaders & Medical Trips Abroad (1999–2025)

1. President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999–2007)

His wife, Stella Obasanjo, died during a cosmetic operation in Marbella, Spain in 2005 .

In 2007, Obasanjo traveled to Germany for corrective eye surgery, and later, in 2019, visited Singapore for a routine medical check-up .



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2. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007–2010)

Battled prolonged illness, including pericarditis—spent around 70 days in Saudi Arabia in late 2009 .

Died in May 2010 after failing to return to Nigeria promptly .



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3. President Goodluck Jonathan (2011–2015)

His wife, Patience Jonathan, underwent seven surgeries in Germany, with care reportedly costing up to $31.4 million .

Jonathan himself reportedly traveled to Germany in 2013 and to London in 2016 for medical check-ups .



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4. President Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023)

Frequently traveled to London for various medical reasons:

June 2016 (ear infection)

January 2017 (over 50 days)

May–August 2017 (104 days—the longest trip)

May 2018, March & July 2021, March & October 2022, and May 2023 for check-ups or procedures .


In total, spent over 225 days abroad for medical reasons during his presidency .



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5. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (2023–present)

Underwent knee surgery in France in 2021, while serving as a senator/aspirant, and had another medical check-up in London in 2018 .



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📊 Summary Table

Leader Medical Trips Abroad

*Olusegun Obasanjo (1999–2007)*
Wife died in Spain (2005); Germany (2007); Singapore (2019)

*Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007–2010)* Saudi Arabia (~70 days, 2009)

*Goodluck Jonathan (2011–2015)* Germany (2013); London (2016)

*Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023)*
Multiple trips to UK: 2016, 2017 (x2), 2018, 2021 (x2), 2022 (x2), 2023

*Bola Tinubu (2023– )* France (knee, 2021); London check-up (2018). Other medical checkups.


🔍 Reflection

This pattern—sometimes labeled “medical tourism”—highlights recurring criticism of Nigerian elites seeking healthcare abroad while domestic medical infrastructure remains underdeveloped .

Do we any good hospital here in nigeria? The reason they run abroad to die

columbus007:
Do we any good hospital here in nigeria? The reason they run abroad to die

With billions of naira allocated to the health sector every year, why can't we have good health care system in Nigeria?

Despite spending much on health sector, our leaders prefer foreign medical treatment to the one at home.

How patriotic is this?




🇳🇬 Health Sector Allocations (2015–2025)

Based on Federal Government data and media sources:

Year Allocation (₦ trillion) % of Total Budget

2015 ₦0.347 ~6.1 %
2016 ₦0.354 ~5.8 %
2017 ₦0.316–0.380 ~4.2–5.1 %
2018 ₦0.418–0.528 ~4.6–5.8 %
2019 ₦0.461–0.373 ~4.2–5.2 %
2020 ₦0.584–0.464 ~4.4–5.5 %
2021 ₦0.695–0.547 ~4.8 %
2022 ₦0.827 ~3.4 %
2023 ₦1.170 ~4.9–5.8 %
2024 ₦1.336–1.502 ~4.3–4.6 %
2025 ₦2.48 ~5.0 %


Sources & Highlights:

2015–2023 health allocations increased from ₦278 bn → ₦1.17 trn

2024 budget reported at ₦1.336–₦1.502 trn (4.6–4.28 %)

2025 budget allocated ₦2.48 trn (~5.18–4.99 %)


Despite nominal increases, allocations remain well below the Abuja Declaration target of 15 %.


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🏥 Aso Rock Clinic (State House Medical Centre)

No dedicated allocation in 2017; actual released funds were just ~₦0.970 bn (capital) + ₦0.226 bn (recurrent) for 2015–2017 .

Official: "operating on zero-budget" in that year .

So while there were budget line entries, actual disbursements were minimal—far less than suggested by some claims.



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🏨 National Hospital, Abuja

As a public hospital under FCT/federal purview, National Hospital Abuja is funded via the general health budget.

No separate line-item allocation has been publicly disclosed—its funding is embedded within the Ministry of Health and health agencies’ budgets.

No specific figures found for independent budget allocations to National Hospital Abuja .



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✅ Summary

1. Health sector funding rose steadily from ₦0.3 trn in 2015 to ₦2.48 trn in 2025 (~+615 %), yet still well under the 15 % Abuja target.


2. Aso Rock Clinic had nominal budget lines but almost zero actual disbursement during 2015–2017.


3. National Hospital Abuja receives funding from consolidated health budgets—not via a distinct line item.