Nigeria’s health sector has limitations, I may not rely on it —Atiku

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, said he might not completely rely on Nigerian health system for his health care due to its limitations.

Abubakar, who made this known at an Arise TV presidential town hall meeting in Lagos, bemoaned lack of adequate investment in the health sector.

When pressed about medical tourism, the Vice President said the government must sit with private sectors in order to advance robust investment in the health sector.

He insisted that government must devote reasonable allocation especially to the primary health care system to make it more affordable and accessible to the Nigerian public.

READ ALSO:Atiku claims PDP reduced poverty throughout its 16 years in power

Abubakar said: “Health facilities that cater to my health may not be available. We have limitations; we know we have those limitations.

“We need to first address the issue of primary healthcare. After addressing this, which affects the majority of our citizens, then we can focus on the secondary and tertiary levels. The truth is that we are not investing enough as a government in the medical sector.

“Another issue is medical tourism. We need to sit with the private sector and tell them we want them to invest in the health sector and that we are ready to offer incentives. With the right incentives, I believe Nigeria’s private sector will invest adequately in the health sector.”

The town hall debate was also attended by Rabiu Kwankwanso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party ( LP).

By Ambali Abdulkabeer

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now