EXPERTS PUSH TO MAKE FCT AFRICA’S NEXT MEDICAL TOURISM HUB

… Call for Stronger Policies to reposition Nigeria’s Health Sector

By: Prudence Okonna

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has the potential to become Africa’s leading destination for medical tourism, comparable to global hubs like New Delhi, if the right policies, partnerships, and promotional efforts are put in place.

This was the central message at a press briefing organized by the All Africa and Medical Wellness Expo (AMWE) Medical & Wellness Foundation, themed “Repositioning Nigeria’s Medical and Wellness Sector: From Domestic Excellence to Global Recognition.”

Executive Chairman of the Foundation, who is also the Convener of the All Africa and Medical Wellness Expo, Isah Usman, noted that while the FCT is home to world-class hospitals with modern equipment, specialised treatment services, and highly skilled professionals, a major gap remains: a lack of awareness and enabling policies.

In his words: “If you go around the FCT, you’ll see we already have world-class facilities. What we lack is the right environment and visibility. With government support, we can transform the FCT into a competitive medical tourism hub, just like India’s New Delhi.”

During the session, Usman presented a SWOT analysis of Nigeria’s health sector.

Enumerating the strengths to include availability of skilled medical professionals, affordable cost of treatment compared to other destinations.

Some of the weaknesses he identified include Lack of enabling environment and inadequate infrastructure

For threats he identified negative perception of Nigeria’s healthcare system, overdependence on outbound medical tourism, misconceptions of treating healthcare solely as a charitable venture.

Usman urged stakeholders to begin viewing healthcare through a dual lens: as both a public good and a viable economic sector.

“Let us stop seeing healthcare only as charity. We must treat it as a national investment with long-term returns.” He said.

Highlighting some of the opportunities to harness, Usman identified Cost-effective training and development of health workers, growing digital health landscape in telemedicine, e-health, and teleradiology.

According to Usman, “Our goal is not just to keep Nigerians from seeking healthcare abroad. We want Nigeria, starting with the FCT, to be a destination of choice for others. We have the capacity. We need the will.”

Meanwhile, Solomon Ugbede, a member of the AMWE technical team, outlined key drivers for transforming Nigeria’s healthcare landscape.

Some of the drivers include enacting supportive and comprehensive health policies, expanding the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), revitalizing diagnostic centers and primary health facilities through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and developing a national medical tourism framework not just for outbound but inbound and intrabound.

“We must strengthen our national health PPP framework and improve information systems for smarter, more transparent healthcare delivery,” Ugbede emphasized.

The team called for the immediate development of a National Public-Private Partnership Health Policy to guide collaboration between public and private actors, with clear legal and operational structures.

Abuja digest reports that at the heart of the discussions was the shared goal of advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria through strategic investments in innovation, infrastructure, and institutional reforms, Nigeria can not only retain patients at home but also attract international patients