What is Medical Tourism: Globally and in Nigeria?
Medical tourism, the practice of travelling across borders to receive medical care, is increasingly shaping global health, economic, and travel landscapes.
INTRODUCTION
Whether seeking a specialized surgery, a second opinion, or cost-effective care abroad, many people today embark on medical journeys to other countries. This phenomenon, often referred to as medical tourism, has grown in significance due to differences in costs, quality, waiting times, and the availability of specialized treatments.
At the same time, for countries like Nigeria, medical tourism represents both a loss (when citizens travel abroad for care) and a potential opportunity (if the government itself becomes a destination).
In this post, we’ll define what medical tourism is, examine its historical and current context in Nigeria, review global trends, analyze challenges and implications, and provide guidance for how Nigeria might shift from being primarily a source of outbound patients to becoming a competitive medical tourism destination.
What is Medical Tourism:
Medical tourism is the practice of travelling across international borders to obtain medical treatment. The motivation may include lower cost, higher quality of care, access to procedures not available locally, shorter waiting times, or combining medical care with tourism. From a global health perspective, medical tourism sits at the intersection of healthcare services, travel, and economics.
Key Features of Medical Tourism
These include:
- The patient originates in one country (source country) and travels to another (destination country) for care.
- The reason for travel is medical treatment (which can be elective, essential, or transformative), and often bundled with travel/tourist aspects.
- The destination country competes to attract international patients through cost, quality, service, accreditation, hospitality, and ancillary tourism.
- For the source country, large outbound flows may represent lost revenue, eroded confidence in local health systems, and opportunities for domestic investment.
Historical Context of Medical Tourism in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the idea of medical tourism has primarily meant Nigerians travelling abroad for healthcare rather than foreigners visiting Nigeria for treatment. Historically, many Nigerian patients with the means, especially for complex surgeries or specialist care, found local facilities inadequate or lacking, prompting travel to India, the UK, the US, Dubai, or other destinations.
For example, a study noted that Nigeria loses a significant amount of foreign exchange each year due to such outbound flows.
Also, the trust deficit in local healthcare infrastructure, brain‐drain of skilled personnel, and the perception of better care abroad have added to this trend. Over time, government and private sector efforts have sought to build capacity, but the momentum of outbound medical tourism has remained strong.
Drivers of Medical Tourism in Nigeria
Several drivers explain why Nigerians seek medical care abroad. Two paragraphs per reason are provided below:
Infrastructure and Facilities
Many Nigerians travel abroad because local hospitals may lack advanced facilities, specialist equipment, or world‐class accreditation. This infrastructure gap means that, for complex surgeries (e.g., oncology, cardiology, organ transplants), patients perceive treatment abroad as safer or more effective.
Furthermore, given that many Nigerian hospitals struggle with consistent power supply, a shortage of ICU beds, and limited diagnostic capability, the comparative advantage of going abroad becomes more compelling for those who can afford it.
Trust and Specialist Expertise
Trust in local care is a significant factor. Some Nigerian patients believe the outcomes abroad will be better, the surgeons more experienced, or that they will receive world‐class service. A lack of confidence in local health systems (linked to past industrial actions, medical errors, or infrastructure constraints) pushes some to look outside Nigeria.
In addition, acquiring specialist expertise (for example, in transplant surgery, advanced cancer care, or high‐end diagnostics) may require travel. When the local system does not offer the procedure or guarantees comparable standards, outbound medical tourism becomes a logical choice for many.
Cost and Economic Factors
While cost is often a driver in global medical tourism (patients from high‐cost countries seeking cheaper care), in Nigeria, the driver is somewhat different: it’s often the perception that for a given amount of money, one gets better value abroad, or the cost of local inefficiencies makes travel seem justified. Some patients believe that going abroad gives better outcomes for the same—or slightly higher—cost.
Also, currency depreciation, inflation, and the cost of imported medical equipment may mean local treatment costs escalate or that local treatments are perceived as premium. For those who have the means, aligning travel with treatment is a worthwhile investment.
Health System Limitations and Waiting Times
Another driver is delays, referrals, and waitlists within the domestic system. Some patients travel abroad to avoid long waiting times for elective or specialized procedures. In addition, limitations in the local availability of procedures or diagnostic tests.
For example, specific transplant programs or high‐end imaging mean the only recourse for some is to travel outside.
Finally, the global connectivity, availability of travel, and ease of visa/medical travel packages have made outbound medical tourism more accessible for Nigerian patients in recent decades.
3 Current Scales and Trends of Medical Tourism
Examining the current scales and trends globally and in Nigeria gives insight into where the market is heading.
Global Trends
Globally, the medical tourism market continues to expand. For example, one source indicates that in 2024 the global medical tourism market was valued at more than USD 31 billion and is projected to grow further.
In terms of destination countries, according to a 2024 list, countries such as Thailand (~2.5 million inbound patients), the United States (~1.9 million), Mexico (~1.3 million), Malaysia (~1.0 million), etc., rank among the top.
These data show that medical tourism is not just a niche; significant flows of patients cross borders each year for medical care. These flows reflect not only cost arbitrage but also global stratification of healthcare, marketing of healthcare services, accreditation, and travel connectivity.
Trends and Scale in Nigeria
When it comes to Nigeria, several recent data points reveal the scale and trends of outbound medical tourism:
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reports that Nigerians spent about US$2.38 million on foreign healthcare services from January to June 2024.
- Another report indicates that Nigeria loses about US$1.2 billion annually to medical tourism, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Coordinator in Ondo State.
- Similarly, the Nigerian Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that Nigeria loses approximately US$1.1 billion annually to outbound medical tourism.
- A 2025 article from the Vanguard newspaper cited a figure of about US$2 billion annually going abroad for medical tourism.
Together, these figures suggest that even though recorded data on foreign exchange use is relatively modest (in millions of USD), the actual economic flow, including unrecorded private expenditures, may well be in the billions of dollars annually. This suggests a persistent and significant scale of outbound medical tourism from Nigeria. what is medical tourism: globally and in Nigeria?
Implications of the Trends
The sharp discrepancy between recorded exact figures (in millions) and the estimated losses (in billions) suggests that much of the spending may not be fully captured in official statistics.
For example, due to cash payments, informal arrangements, or travel funded privately.
Further, recent data indicate that outbound medical tourism spending has declined significantly in the most recent period. For example, spending dropped by about 52 % in the 22 months from May 2023 to March 2025 compared to a previous 22-month span.
Potential reasons: tighter foreign exchange controls, limited access to dollars, increased emphasis on domestic healthcare capacity, and changing patterns of care-seeking.
Nevertheless, the scale remains large, and Nigeria’s aim of becoming a destination as opposed to just a source of medical tourism is increasingly mentioned in health policy discussions.
Challenges & Implications of Medical Tourism
Medical tourism poses a range of challenges and implications, especially for a country like Nigeria. Below, we elaborate on key dimensions.
Economic Implications
One of the most significant implications is the loss of foreign exchange. When Nigerians travel abroad for medical care, the money leaves the country instead of being invested in local health infrastructure or retained in the economy. Figures cited above (US$1–2 billion annually) highlight the magnitude.
Additionally, when funds are spent abroad, there is also the lost opportunity cost: investment that could have upgraded local facilities, trained personnel, improved diagnostics, or expanded access to care domestically. This perpetuates the cycle of patients travelling out rather than staying in.
On the flip side, if Nigeria were to harness its medical tourism potential and attract inbound patients, there is economic gain to be had: health‐tourism revenue, job creation, development of private hospital chains, ancillary services (hotels, travel), and improved global standing. Presently, this potential remains largely untapped.
Social & Health System Implications
From a social perspective, large outbound medical tourism flows can reflect a lack of trust in local health systems. If citizens consistently bypass domestic care, this undermines confidence, which in turn makes local investment less politically compelling. The brain-drain of doctors and specialists compounds the problem.
Moreover, when mostly affluent Nigerians travel abroad, this may accentuate health inequalities. Those without means remain dependent on weaker local systems, thereby widening the gap in access and outcomes. On the health system side, domestic hospitals may lack enough domestic demand or incentives to upgrade when significant business is lost to foreign destinations.
Legal & Ethical Implications
There are legal and regulatory implications when patients travel abroad. What happens if complications arise abroad? What rights does the patient have? For outbound travelers, appropriate insurance, continuity of care on return, and medical follow-up become challenges.
For inbound potential, Nigeria would need to ensure international accreditation, robust regulation, standards of care, liability frameworks, and patient safety mechanisms. Without these, the reputation risk is high.
Ethically, the country must also ensure that promoting medical tourism does not divert resources away from addressing urgent domestic public health needs (e.g., maternal care, infectious disease) for the sake of higher‐paying international patients.
What is Medical Tourism: What's Being Lost and What Could Be Gained
What’s being lost:
- Billions of dollars in foreign exchange each year.
- Opportunities to invest in and upgrade local healthcare systems.
- Confidence in the domestic health system, with possible knock-on effects on public health.
- Jobs, innovation, and value‐added services within Nigeria.
What could be gained:
- Developing centres of excellence in Nigeria that serve both local and international patients, while retaining revenue.
- Improved equipment, technology, human resources, and infrastructure that benefit both the local population and inbound medical tourists.
- Strengthening the health system by creating demand, competition, and improved standards.
- Ancillary economic benefits (travel, hospitality, healthcare, and tourism services).
Frequently Asked Questions
According to recent global listings, Thailand is ranked among the top medical tourism destinations, receiving approximately 2.5 million inbound medical tourists in recent data.
Another large destination is India (with thousands of international patients and an estimated revenue of several billion USD).
Estimates vary: official foreign exchange recorded flows show US$2.38 million in the first half of 2024 for outbound medical tourism from Nigeria.
However, broader estimates suggest Nigeria loses between US$1.1 billion and US$2 billion annually when unrecorded private spending is considered.
Nigeria could become a destination by investing in key areas:
- Building world‐class healthcare facilities meeting international accreditation standards and specialising in procedures with high inbound demand (e.g., orthopaedics, cardiology, oncology, fertility).
- Enhancing supporting infrastructure: accessible flights, hotel/accommodation, medical travel packages, patient liaison services, international insurance partnerships.
- Promoting the country to foreign markets and diaspora, assuring safety, accreditation, and streamlined travel/visa for medical patients.
- Strengthening the domestic healthcare system so that local and inbound demand creates sustainable volume, thereby reducing unit costs and increasing competitiveness.
- Ensuring regulatory frameworks, patient‐safety systems, continuity of care, post‐treatment services, and attractive pricing.
Final Dose
Medical tourism is both a challenge and an opportunity for Nigeria. Understanding what is medical tourism: why do Nigerians travel abroad for care, and how global and domestic trends are evolving is essential. The country faces a substantial outflow of healthcare spending and talent. Yet, the possibility remains to transform these dynamics by investing in domestic healthcare, branding Nigeria as a destination, and capturing value for its citizens and economy.
References
- Abubakar & Okpanachi, Medical travel in Nigeria: Challenges and Remedies to Health Care System Development.
- CBN Quarterly Statistical Bulletin and media reports on Nigeria’s medical tourism spending.
- Vanguard & BusinessDay reports on Nigeria’s estimated annual losses to medical tourism.
- Global medical tourism destination and market size data.