Nigerian health system collapsing as experts reveal over $1bn lost yearly to medical tourism due to poor funding, equipment gaps, and brain drain

Nigerian health system collapsing—that was the grim consensus at the 2025 Annual Lecture of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (NAMed), held in Abuja this week.

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The President of the Academy, Emeritus Professor Samuel Ohaegbulam, warned that chronic underfunding, decaying infrastructure, and a mass exodus of professionals are pushing Nigerians to spend over $1 billion annually on medical tourism.

“Our hospitals lack basic diagnostic tools like CT and MRI machines. The budgetary allocations are grossly inadequate, and our doctors are demoralised,” Ohaegbulam declared.

At a time when Lassa fever is re-emerging and other diseases threaten public health, the Academy says the nation’s healthcare system is hanging by a thread.

Nigerian doctors and nurses are leaving in alarming numbers. Some are offered $15,000 monthly salaries abroad, compared to their struggle for basic pay and supplies at home.

“Can we blame them?” Ohaegbulam asked. “Our health workers are trained with dedication, only to be lost to foreign systems.”

Even tertiary hospitals are reportedly operating without functional diagnostic tools, rendering patient care inadequate and unsafe.

Despite a national law mandating universal health insurance, fewer than 11 million Nigerians are covered—barely 2.2% of the population.

“The law exists, but enforcement is weak. Politicians abandon promises after elections,” Ohaegbulam lamented.

Medical schools and universities are also buckling under pressure. Overcrowding, poor facilities, and a lack of quality instructors threaten the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“More universities aren’t the solution. We need well-funded, better-managed institutions,” he warned.

Postgraduate training is suffering too, with graduates opting for overseas placements instead of training locally.

This further weakens Nigeria’s ability to build a self-sustaining healthcare workforce.

In a keynote lecture, Prof. John Idoko spoke about the resurgence of Lassa fever, noting that many patients are wrongly treated for malaria without testing, allowing the virus to spread undetected.

“NCDC needs more funding, rapid diagnostic tools, and incentives for state and local health workers,” he emphasized.

He also urged Nigerians to stop eating bushmeat, which may host the virus, and called for increased public health education and stronger surveillance systems.

Former Health Minister and NAMed trustee, Prof. Isaac Adewole, noted that President Tinubu has approved waivers for direct recruitment in the health sector. The goal: to plug critical workforce gaps swiftly.

While this gesture is a step forward, experts say it is not nearly enough.

“We must stop exporting our sick and importing our doctors’ talents elsewhere,” said Ohaegbulam. “It’s time to rebuild from within.”

The Academy estimates that over $1 billion is spent annually by Nigerians seeking treatment abroad, a staggering sum that could fund hundreds of modern hospitals and retain thousands of health professionals.

“If our leaders—many of whom are doctors—joined hands, we could end this tragedy,” Ohaegbulam insisted.

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As 22 new fellows were inducted into the Academy, the message was clear: the collapse of Nigeria’s healthcare system is no longer a warning—it’s reality.