Nigerians Will Soon Stop Traveling Abroad for Medical Treatment – Senator Jibrin

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to building a robust healthcare system capable of meeting international standards and ending the nation’s dependence on medical tourism.

Speaking on Sunday during an inspection of seven major projects he facilitated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Senator Barau said the initiatives are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at strengthening health institutions across the country.

“Our goal is to make Nigerian hospitals so advanced that no citizen will need to travel to Egypt or India for medical treatment,” he said. “We have the human resources and medical expertise; what we need is sustained investment.”

Senator Barau explained that the ongoing projects at AKTH are designed to transform the facility into a centre of excellence for specialized care. The projects include:

• A fully equipped Cardiothoracic Centre

• A modern Paediatrics Complex

• Classrooms and offices for the School of Health Information Management (SHIM)

• A student hostel for the College of Nursing Sciences

• Road construction and interlocking within the hospital premises

Accompanied by four other senators, Senator Barau emphasized that the projects reflect President Tinubu’s vision of an accessible and high-quality healthcare system for all Nigerians.

“This is only the beginning,” he noted. “We will continue to support AKTH until it becomes a leading medical institution in West Africa. The current trend of medical tourism will soon be reversed.”

He also assured that the National Assembly remains committed to backing healthcare reforms through supportive legislation and oversight.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe, commended Senator Barau for his efforts, stating that the projects will significantly enhance healthcare delivery and education at the hospital.

In the same vein, Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Haruna Musa, praised Senator Barau for attracting two major development projects to the university within just two months of taking office.

“Senator Barau’s dedication to advancing both healthcare and education in Kano is clear. We deeply appreciate his continued support for BUK and AKTH,” Prof. Musa said.