Dangote urges end to medical tourism, calls for local drug production in Nigeria

The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has emphasised the urgent need for Nigeria to put an end to medical tourism and focus on producing essential medicines locally.

Dangote made this appeal on Wednesday while speaking at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos.

Highlighting the importance of strengthening the nation’s healthcare system, Dangote said, “What we need to do is to make sure we stop this health tourism and we should now get in to start producing our own drugs.” He added that it was crucial for all Nigerians, regardless of their social status, to have access to quality medical care within the country and hinted at the importance of partnerships with the Gates Foundation to make this possible.

The business mogul recalled the successful collaboration between Dangote Foundation and the Gates Foundation in eradicating polio in Nigeria, while also improving nutrition and public health.

In the area of business achievements, Dangote noted that his conglomerate has transformed several sectors of the Nigerian economy. He pointed out that Nigeria was once the second-largest importer of cement globally, but now exports the commodity more than any other African nation, thanks to Dangote Cement.

He also spoke about the fertilizer sector, saying farmers used to struggle to access the product locally, but with his investment in the second-largest fertilizer plant in the world, Nigeria now exports about “37% of our fertilizer to the United States of America.”

Turning attention to the petroleum industry, Dangote revealed that his 650,000 barrels per day refinery, the largest single-train refinery in the world, has already started making a significant impact. He announced that in May 2025 alone, the refinery exported 400,000 metric tons of petrol, effectively ending Nigeria’s long-standing reliance on imported petrol.

The Goalkeepers event, hosted for the first time in Lagos by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gathered global leaders, policymakers, and influencers to review progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among dignitaries present were Bill Gates himself, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.