Pecohub Despite the Federal Government approving a whopping ₦21 billion for a “Presidential VIP Wing” at the State House Clinic in 2021, successive Nigerian presidents have continued a long tradition of seeking medical treatment abroad—at the expense of public funds and the credibility of local health institutions.
Two years after former President Muhammadu Buhari boasted about a world-class facility in Aso Rock, his successor, President Bola Tinubu, has shown zero confidence in it, flying to France and other foreign destinations for personal medical care since his inauguration.
In March 2022, the government said it had already spent over ₦10.06 billion, with then-Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijanni Umar, claiming the project was “80% completed” and would be delivered by Q1 2023. But where is it today?
Tinubu’s first known medical escape came just weeks after his March 2023 election victory. He flew to France to recuperate from the rigours of campaigning. Since then, the silence around the ₦21bn project has been deafening.
This Isn’t a New Playbook.
Over a 16-year period, Nigeria has spent a staggering ₦13.4 billion on foreign medical travels for Presidents—Buhari, Jonathan, and Yar’Adua. Buhari alone, between 2016 and 2022, spent over 225 days abroad, embarking on 84 trips to 40 countries, mostly for healthcare. All while over ₦6 billion was allocated to State House international travels during his tenure alone.
Former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina unapologetically defended Buhari’s medical tourism, saying, “He has used the same medical team for about 40 years.” A sentiment that lays bare the elite’s contempt for local institutions they’re meant to improve.
From Abuja to the States: Same Rotten Template
While the nation fumes over the contradiction in Abuja, the template of waste and elite disconnect is quietly being replicated at the state level.
State governors—many of whom build “Specialist Hospitals” or “Health Innovation Centres”—still fly abroad for check-ups, family health needs, and basic procedures that ordinary citizens are left to queue months for. Most of these projects become abandoned or under-equipped white elephants, just like the State House Clinic.
This is not just about medical tourism. It’s about institutional betrayal and a sick political culture—one that uses taxpayer funds to pretend to build, while still planning personal escape routes.
If N21bn isn’t enough to convince a sitting president to treat himself in Nigeria, what message does that send to the 36 states? Why should a governor commit to equipping a teaching hospital when the President doesn’t trust the so-called “best” clinic in the nation?
The State House Clinic story isn’t just a federal scandal. It’s a mirror. And every state house in Nigeria is starting to look just like it.
