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Imagine leading a country's for eight years, wielding the power to transform its future, only to meet your end in a foreign hospital bed. This is the bitter irony that has sparked outrage across Nigeria following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in a London clinic on July 13, 2025. His passing, at 82, has reignited a fiery debate: 'why do Nigeria’s rulers neglect the nation’s healthcare system, only to seek treatment abroad when death comes knocking?'
A Ruler's Legacy Under Scrutiny
Muhammadu Buhari, a towering figure in Nigerian politics, served as military head of state from 1983 to 1985 and as elected president from 2015 to 2023. His tenure promised sweeping reforms, including tackling corruption and insecurity, yet the healthcare sector remained a glaring blind spot to many. Despite Nigeria’s vast oil wealth, the country allocates just 4.6% of its GDP to healthcare, far below the global average of 10%.
Posts online reflect a raw, unfiltered sentiment: Many Nigerians feel betrayed. One user lamented, “Eight years in power, and he couldn’t build a single world-class hospital (befitting presidents). Yet, he died in London.” This anger stems from a painful truth—Buhari, like many Nigerian elites, frequently sought medical care abroad, a practice known as medical tourism that costs Nigeria an estimated $1 billion annually.
The Paradox of Medical Tourism
Medical tourism isn’t just a personal choice; it’s a symptom of systemic failure. Nigeria’s healthcare system is plagued by underfunded hospitals, outdated equipment, and a shortage of skilled professionals. In 2023, the Nigerian Medical Association reported that 2,000 doctors leave the country annually, seeking better opportunities abroad. Meanwhile, patients with means—including political leaders—flock to countries like the UK, France, India, and Germany for treatment.
Buhari’s final days in a London clinic epitomize this paradox. After falling ill during a routine medical visit, he was reportedly discharged from intensive care but succumbed shortly after. The optics are damning: a former president, who once vowed to end medical tourism, died in a foreign hospital while Nigeria’s own facilities crumble. As one X user put it, “It’s shameful that a whole former president died in another man’s country.”
Voices of a Frustrated Nation
The public’s reaction on X paints a picture of deep frustration. Nigerians aren’t just mourning Buhari; they’re grieving a missed opportunity to fix a broken system. Key grievances include:
- Neglect of Infrastructure: During Buhari’s tenure, no major federal hospital was built or significantly upgraded, that could stop others like him from medical tourism let alone for the poor, despite his frequent medical trips abroad.
- Economic Drain: Medical tourism siphons billions from Nigeria’s economy, funds that could bolster local healthcare.
- Leadership Hypocrisy: Citizens resent leaders who fail to invest in local hospitals yet rely on foreign ones, as one user noted: “They leave us to die in shambles while they jet off to London.”
This isn’t just about Buhari. Current Bola Tinubu, who succeeded him, faces similar criticism. In a poignant call to action, an X user urged, “Tinubu, you who is still alive, you better do the needful.”
Counterarguments: Was Buhari Solely to Blame?
Some argue it’s unfair to pin Nigeria’s healthcare woes during his tenure on Buhari. Buhari inherited a system already in decline, shaped by decades of mismanagement and corruption. Supporters highlight his administration’s efforts, like the National Health Insurance Scheme expansion, which aimed to improve access to care. Others note global challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic, strained even the best healthcare systems.
Yet, these defenses ring hollow for many. The fact remains: Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad sent a message that Nigeria’s hospitals weren’t good enough for him—or, by extension, for its citizens. As one X user quipped, “If our hospitals aren’t fit for our leaders, how can they be fit for us?”
A System in Need of a Lifeline
Nigeria’s healthcare crisis is like a patient on life support, gasping for reform. The country has just 0.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people, compared to 4.7 in the UK. Brain drain continues to hollow out the medical workforce, with over 5,000 doctors emigrating between 2015 and 2022.
Reform isn’t impossible. Countries like Rwanda have transformed their healthcare systems through strategic investments and policies, achieving universal health coverage with a fraction of Nigeria’s resources. Nigeria could follow suit by increasing health budgets, incentivizing doctors to stay, and building state-of-the-art facilities. But it requires political will—something Nigerians feel has been lacking for too long.
The Road Ahead: A Call for Change
Buhari’s death abroad is more than a personal tragedy; it’s a mirror reflecting Nigeria’s systemic failures. It’s a wake-up call, like a thunderclap in a silent storm, urging leaders to act before the nation’s health flatlines. Tinubu’s decision to send Vice President Shettima to accompany Buhari’s body back to Nigeria signals respect, but it’s not enough.
What can you do? We empathize with those affected by the loss. Join the conversation. Share your stories of navigating the healthcare system or ideas for reform. Demand accountability—because no Nigerian, from president to citizen, should have to die abroad for lack of a decent healthcare system at home.
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