THE Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called for urgent action to end Nigeria’s reliance on medical tourism and to prioritize local drug manufacturing.
Speaking at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos today, Dangote emphasized the need for Nigerians—regardless of status—to have access to quality healthcare within the country.
“What we need to do is to make sure we stop this health tourism and start producing our own drugs,” he said during a panel discussion.
He added that strategic partnerships, especially with philanthropist Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation, are essential to achieving this goal.
Dangote cited past collaborations between the Dangote Foundation and the Gates Foundation that successfully contributed to eradicating polio in Nigeria and improving nutrition levels nationwide.
Highlighting achievements in other sectors, Africa’s richest man pointed to how his company transformed Nigeria from one of the world’s largest cement importers into the continent’s top cement exporter.
He also noted improvements in agriculture, stating that local farmers now have better access to fertilizer thanks to the construction of the world’s second-largest fertilizer plant by his firm.
“In fact, Nigeria now exports 37% of its fertilizer to the United States,” he added.
On energy, Dangote touted the milestone reached by the newly built 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery.
He revealed that in May 2025 alone, the refinery exported 400,000 metric tons of petrol—effectively ending Nigeria’s dependency on imported fuel.
Dangote’s comments come amid growing calls for Nigeria to strengthen its local industries and healthcare infrastructure, ensuring sustainability and self-reliance in critical sectors.