The Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, has warned that Nigeria will continue to lose doctors and patients to foreign countries unless the nation makes massive investments in technology-driven medical education and research.
Olowolafe stated this in Abuja at the 2025 Healthcare and Medical Expo organised by the Nigerian Medical Association, where stakeholders again raised concerns over the exodus of medical professionals and the growing reliance on foreign hospitals.
He said Nigeria must deliberately fund research, upgrade teaching hospitals, and strengthen knowledge production to compete globally. According to him, medical tourism will persist as long as the country fails to equip its doctors with the facilities and training needed to deliver world-class care.
“Technology is now the great equaliser,” he stressed, noting that Nigeria must build an integrated ecosystem linking universities, laboratories, hospitals and investors. He challenged African countries to stop being consumers of medical innovations and start producing solutions that attract global attention.
Olowolafe urged the NMA to leverage its influence across states and the diaspora to push for policies that can reduce capital flight and draw investors into building standard medical centres locally.
He expressed confidence that ongoing reforms under the Tinubu administration would improve investors’ confidence, adding that Nigeria already has the talent — only the right environment is missing.
Discover more from Rootedscope Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
