Nigerian Medical Tourism to End Soon, Says Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has confidently stated that Nigeria is on the path to developing a world-class healthcare system that will soon put an end to the trend of medical tourism. The Senator’s declaration came on Sunday while he inspected seven major projects he facilitated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano.

Dependable NG reports that the Senator’s initiative aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises strengthening the nation’s health institutions to meet international standards.

Senator Barau, who was accompanied by four other senators, explained that the ongoing projects at AKTH are specifically designed to upgrade the facility into a highly advanced and specialized medical center capable of delivering world-class care.

“Our goal is to make our hospitals so good that Nigerians will no longer need to travel to Egypt or India for medical treatment,” Barau asserted. “We have the human resources and expertise to transform our health sector if we invest properly.”

He stressed that the current trend of medical tourism “will soon stop with the necessary investment in our health sector,” adding that he is certain that with the work being done at institutions like AKTH, this will soon be a thing of the past.

The seven projects facilitated by Senator Barau include the construction and equipping of a new cardiothoracic centre, a paediatrics complex, and new classrooms and offices for the School of Health Information Management (SHIM). Furthermore, works include the construction of a student hostel at the College of Nursing Sciences, as well as road construction and interlocking projects across various departments within the hospital premises.

Barau confirmed that these initiatives are perfectly in tune with the President’s vision of ensuring a robust and accessible healthcare delivery system at a specialized level for all Nigerians.

The Senator also assured the public that the National Assembly remains committed to supporting the executive arm of government through legislative action and rigorous oversight to guarantee the success of the ongoing health sector reforms.

Earlier, both the Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe, and the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Haruna Musa, commended Senator Barau for his substantial contributions. Prof. Sheshe noted that the projects would significantly enhance both healthcare delivery and learning at the hospital. Prof. Musa highlighted that within just two months of his assumption of office, Senator Barau had already attracted two major projects to BUK, praising his evident commitment and continued support.