The Convener of the All Africa Medical and Wellness Expo (AMWE), Usman Isah, has said Abuja is well-positioned to emerge as a key medical tourism destination in Africa, similar to New Delhi in India.
Speaking at the third AMWE in Abuja, Isah noted the city’s modern hospitals can attract both local and international patients, stressing that medical tourism should be harnessed to boost Nigeria’s health system, reduce brain drain, and attract investment.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, represented by Ijeoma Okoli, reaffirmed the
government’s commitment to cutting outbound medical tourism, which drains over $1 billion annually, citing new federal cancer centres as part of ongoing reforms.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Alabi, urged Nigeria to address policy and infrastructure gaps to tap into the global $31 billion medical tourism market, while delegates agreed Abuja can become a continental hub if strategically developed.
