US, UK patients now seek medical care in Nigeria — Pate

• as FEC approves N12bn for MRI, CT scanners in OAU, others

The Federal Government on Tuesday revealed that Nigeria is steadily being positioned as a growing hub for quality healthcare and it is now attracting patients not just from the West African subregion but also from countries as far as the United States and the United Kingdom.

This is according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, who spoke

to journalists after Tuesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Pate highlighted key decisions aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The most notable was the approval of N12 billion for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, an advanced diagnostic equipment, across six tertiary health institutions.

“People are now beginning to come from the subregion, and even from faraway places like the UK and the US, to receive quality healthcare in Nigeria,” Pate said.

“Despite the challenges we face, significant progress is being made, and the transformation promised by President Tinubu is already taking shape.”

He said FEC approved contracts for the procurement and installation of three MRI machines and two CT scanners at: University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (Akwa Ibom),

Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta (Ogun State), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Osun State, Federal Medical Center, Keffi (Nasarawa State, Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (Adamawa State and Federal Teaching Hospital, Kebbi (Kebbi State).

“This investment in critical diagnostic infrastructure is part of a broader effort to expand Nigeria’s health system capacity, ensuring that our tertiary institutions can offer world-class medical services,” Pate noted.

Another key decision from the FEC, he said, was Nigeria’s ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, which aims to harmonize medical regulatory standards across the continent.

Adopted by the African Union in 2019, the treaty seeks to improve access to safe, high-quality, and effective medical products through a Pan-African regulatory framework.

“So far, 37 African Union member states have signed the treaty, with 26 having ratified it. Today, the Federal Executive Council directed that Nigeria take all necessary actions to give full effect to this treaty,” Pate stated.

The minister explained that this move would expand Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market beyond national borders, allowing locally manufactured medical products to meet continental standards.

“What we produce here will not just be ‘Made in Nigeria,’ but over time, it will be recognized as ‘Made in Africa.’ This is a significant step towards self-sufficiency in medical products and pharmaceutical industrialization,” he added.

Pate credited President Tinubu’s leadership for driving these reforms, emphasizing that while challenges remain, Nigeria’s health sector is on a path of transformation.

“We are investing in infrastructure, human resources, and regulatory frameworks to create a healthcare system that Nigerians can rely on and that attracts patients from across the globe,” he said.

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