Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, has urged Nigeria to reduce its dependence on medical tourism and focus on local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Speaking at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event in Lagos on Wednesday, Dangote asserted that all Nigerians, regardless of wealth, deserve access to quality healthcare domestically. He highlighted the necessity of collaborating with Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation to enhance local healthcare systems and pharmaceutical production.
The billionaire entrepreneur reiterated that decreasing foreign medical trips and increasing local drug manufacturing would not only enhance healthcare accessibility but also keep essential resources within Nigeria’s economy.
“What we need to do is to ensure that we stop this health tourism and begin producing our own drugs,” Dangote stated during a panel discussion.
He expressed the importance of partnership with Bill Gates, emphasising that sick Nigerians should not have to travel abroad for treatment.
Africa’s wealthiest individual noted that the Dangote Foundation, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, has played a crucial role in eradicating Polio in Nigeria and improving nutrition standards.
From a business perspective, Dangote mentioned his company’s significant achievements, including transforming Nigeria from the second-largest cement importer globally to its current status as the leading exporter in Africa. He also pointed out the establishment of the world’s second-largest fertiliser plant, which has enabled Nigeria to export 37% of its fertiliser to the United States.
In the petroleum sector, he announced the construction of a 650,000 bpd refinery, which has allowed Nigeria to stop importing petrol entirely, with the Dangote Refinery exporting 400,000 metric tons of petrol in May 2025 alone.
The Goalkeepers event, hosted in Lagos by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the first time, gathered global leaders, policymakers, and innovators to evaluate progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Notable attendees included Bill Gates, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
