The Federal Government has announced efforts to reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported healthcare products.
It also stated that the current administration is working to discourage medical tourism and create employment opportunities within the health sector.
This was disclosed by Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain Initiative, on Sunday in Abuja.
The initiative—established by the President—is aimed at driving medical industrialisation and unlocking the full potential of the nation’s healthcare value chain.
Speaking through Dr Nasir Ahmed at the launch of the Impact Healthcare Initiative, Mukhtar highlighted that one key achievement of the programme was the signing of a Presidential Executive Order in July 2024. The order eliminates Value Added Tax on raw materials and medical equipment manufacturing inputs, helping to reduce production costs and attract private sector investment.
He said, “The initiative has three core goals: to significantly increase local production of healthcare products, reduce outbound medical tourism, and generate quality jobs within the health sector. We are using policy to create a supportive environment for the private sector to lead in healthcare manufacturing, employment, and service delivery.”
Mukhtar also noted that under the guidance of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the government is executing a comprehensive health sector strategy to align both public and private sector efforts.
He added, “Our role is to provide an enabling environment, while the private sector drives value creation across the healthcare ecosystem. By working together, we can develop a resilient healthcare economy and position Nigeria as a regional hub for quality health services across ECOWAS and Africa.”
At the same event, Ayodele Cole Benson, Convener of the Impact Healthcare Group, said the group is modelling its efforts after successful international examples like Life Healthcare in South Africa, which expanded from four hospitals in 1998 to a 65-hospital network with 6,500 beds.
Benson pointed out that Nigeria’s fragmented private healthcare sector—dominated by small, independent practices—must be unified to attract significant capital, reduce costs, and eliminate inefficiencies.
He said, “Nigeria loses over $1 billion every year to medical tourism. Just last month, I accompanied someone to Cairo for treatment. Before that, it was Israel. We must stop this capital flight. By building a unified healthcare group, we can reduce costs, secure better deals, and most importantly, provide quality care locally.”
He noted that the Impact Healthcare Network currently spans both northern and southern Nigeria and is working to make high-quality care available nationwide.
“This is not merely a business venture—it’s about saving lives. Many Nigerians die not because treatment is unavailable, but because they cannot access or afford it,” Benson said.
He urged the government to include private providers in public healthcare schemes such as Delta State’s free healthcare for children under five and the elderly, which currently applies only to public institutions.
In his remarks, Senator Samaila Kaila, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, assured stakeholders of the National Assembly’s full backing for the initiative.
“As Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, I can confidently say that my colleagues and I will fully support such efforts,” Kaila said.