The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to advanced healthcare services in Nigeria and reducing medical tourism through increased investment in specialised care and technology.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, stated this in Lagos on Saturday at the launch of Redeemer’s Health Village’s robotic surgery programme.
Salako said the initiative, backed by about $4 million in investment, demonstrated the role of private-sector investment and diaspora partnerships in building Nigeria’s capacity to provide world-class healthcare locally.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership between Redeemer’s Health Village and RoboMed Global Inc., a United States-based Nigerian diaspora-led healthcare company.
The minister said the development was in line with the Federal Government’s health transformation agenda, including efforts to unlock the healthcare value chain and strengthen domestic capacity for specialised treatment.
“The best in the world are now converging here,” Salako said, urging Nigerians to patronise locally available advanced medical services.
He said the new capacity would help ensure that Nigerians would not need to travel abroad to access sophisticated surgical procedures.
The minister noted that the private sector provides more than half of healthcare services in Nigeria, stressing that the government would continue to create an enabling environment for investment in high-end medical services.
He also highlighted initiatives such as the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain and the Presidential Executive Order on the Health Sector, which he said were designed to stimulate investment and improve the resilience of the healthcare system.
According to Salako, the robotic surgery programme also includes training and certification for surgeons across the country, providing an opportunity to upgrade the skills of Nigerian medical professionals in emerging surgical technologies.
He said the initiative further reflected the government’s efforts to attract expertise and capital from Nigerians in the diaspora through programmes such as the Diaspora Health Impact Initiative and Diaspora Advance Health Programme Portal.
Salako commended the management of Redeemer’s Health Village and its partners for investing in advanced surgical technology, describing the project as an example of how innovation, investment and collaboration could strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to collaborate with private-sector investors, diaspora professionals and other stakeholders to develop a healthcare system capable of delivering quality, affordable and specialised treatment to Nigerians at home.
