Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has revealed that Nigeria loses approximately $1.1 billion annually to outbound medical tourism.

Kalu made the disclosure on Friday while hosting Dr. Phillip Ozuah, President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Abuja.

He stressed that despite the progress made under the current administration, government efforts alone are not enough to transform the country’s health sector.

He emphasised the need for strategic partnerships between Nigeria and global health experts to retain such substantial funds within the local economy.

Kalu proposed the establishment of a specialized Medical Research and Training Centre in Nigeria to focus on critical areas such as cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, infectious diseases, and medical technology innovation.

The proposed center, modeled after top global institutions, would involve collaboration with the Federal Government and reputable local investors.

Highlighting the dire state of healthcare in rural Nigeria, Kalu noted that over 30,000 primary healthcare centers remain poorly equipped.

He said support from Montefiore Medicine, including donations of modern equipment and surplus technology from the U.S., could significantly improve healthcare delivery in underserved areas.

He also emphasized the potential of Nigeria’s highly skilled medical diaspora, proposing knowledge exchange initiatives, training fellowships, research collaborations, telemedicine platforms, and AI-driven diagnostic tools to allow contributions to the domestic health system without the need for permanent relocation.

Kalu emphasised the critical role of the private sector in bridging Nigeria’s healthcare investment gap and proposed the exploration of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) with Montefiore Medicine to facilitate sustainable and mutually beneficial investments in healthcare infrastructure.

He said further that “Nigeria’s annual medical tourism bill, which once exceeded $1.6 billion, is now trending downward. Montefiore’s collaboration can accelerate this by developing centers of excellence that meet global standards and retain patients locally”.

He stressed that the country was currently witnessing a historic moment in Nigeria’s healthcare journey, saying “on June 5, 2025, the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) was inaugurated in Abuja, with a $300 million partnership between Afreximbank, King’s College Hospital London, and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

“This 170-bed facility, expanding to 500 beds, is the largest specialist private hospital in West Africa. It features five operating theatres, three catheter labs, West Africa’s largest ICU, a dedicated bone marrow transplant unit, and advanced laboratories.

“The AMCE houses Nigeria’s first 3T MRI, West Africa’s only PET/SPECT CT, two linear accelerators, and a brachytherapy machine, technologies previously unavailable on the continent.

“The AMCE will serve over 350,000 patients in its first five years, create 3,000 jobs, and provide clinical training and research opportunities for Nigerian professionals. Its mission is to reduce outbound medical tourism, strengthen local capacity, and foster intra-African medical excellence.

“Clinical support from King’s and oncology advisory from The Christie NHS Foundation Trust ensures that the highest standards of care are maintained. Plans are underway for a new medical and nursing school in partnership with King’s College London, further strengthening Nigeria’s health workforce.

“With a population exceeding 220 million, 60% of whom are under 25, Nigeria offers significant returns on healthcare investment. Strengthening our health sector is not just a national imperative, but a regional and global necessity”.

Kalu said further that “Health is the only form of wealth that cannot be regained once lost. A nation’s hospitals and clinics are critical infrastructure in safeguarding lives against diseases and poor health outcomes.

“Regardless of the quality of our laws or the scale of our budgets, if preventable deaths continue, if maternal mortality remains high, and if citizens cannot recover from treatable illnesses, our development remains incomplete.

“In the 10th House of Representatives, health is regarded as central to national security, human capital development, and economic progress.

“The World Health Organisation estimates that every dollar invested in health returns four dollars in productivity gains. Nigeria has made notable strides. Wild polio has been eradicated, maternal and child health services have expanded, and tertiary health institutions are reaching more Nigerians than ever before.

“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has committed to bold reforms and citizen-focused policies, with the 2024 national budget allocating over ?1.33 trillion to the health sector, the largest in our history.

“Yet, budgets alone do not deliver outcomes; resilient systems do. These systems must be purposefully designed, adequately equipped, and consistently strengthened through clear policy, sustained investment, and innovative partnerships”.

He said the the 10th National Assembly has taken significant steps which include ensuring that health coverage becomes mandatory under the NHIA Act; expanding the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to support primary healthcare nationwide and modernising obsolete health laws.

In addition, he said local pharmaceutical research is being promoted to boost domestic manufacturing, unifing the Health Infrastructure Development and Regulation Bill to ensure standards across the sector, advancing Medical Residency Training Fund (Amendment) Bill to stem brain drain while the National Assembly Clinic was commissioned as a model for public-sector healthcare delivery. (The Nation)