Business of Health 2026 Moves to Reverse Medical Tourism

Sunday Okobi

The organisers of Business of Health 2026, an inaugural conference focused on reversing medical tourism and positioning Nigeria as a destination for high-quality healthcare, have said that Nigeria’s healthcare conversation must move beyond what the country lacks and towards what it can build.

Scheduled for October 17, 2026, in  Lagos, from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m., the event will convene more than 350 healthcare professionals, investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders in person and online. The conference will be convened by Luxe Dental and Smile Doctor Foundation with the theme: ‘Reversing Medical Tourism: Building the Infrastructure That Brings the World to Nigeria for Care.’

Among the speakers for the conference are Professor Folasade Ogunsola, the first female Vice Chancellor  of University of Lagos; Dr. Omiete Charles Davies; Founder, Drugs and Medicaments Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chidi Okoro; the Founder, Health Tracka, Dr .Seyi Abioldun; and the Group Head, Health Finance, Sterling Bank, Dr .Oluwafemi Olaleye; Dr.  Yemi Osinaike; and  the Founder and Clinical Director of Luxe Dental Clinic, Dr. Funmi Adeniyi.

The organisers stated that Business of Health 2026 would examine the practical steps required to build a healthcare ecosystem capable of retaining Nigerian patients, serving regional and international markets, and generating jobs, investment and innovation across the country.

“For too long, the discussion around Nigerian healthcare has been dominated by deficiencies: insufficient infrastructure, limited specialist services, financing gaps, talent migration ,and the number of Nigerians who seek care abroad.

“That is why we are asking a more productive national question: What can we build here?” the organisers said.

The conference will come at a pivotal moment for Nigeria and Africa’s health economy. Medical tourism has represented an outflow of patients and also a loss of healthcare spending, specialist confidence, investment opportunities and local capacity.

At the same time, Nigeria’s large population, growing entrepreneurial base, expanding digital-health sector and strategic position in West Africa create significant potential for the country to develop centres of excellence capable of delivering world-class care.

Business of Health 2026 will bring together doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals, healthcare founders, investors, healthcare executives, health-tech innovators, business leaders, students and organisations across the healthcare ecosystem.

The organisers confirmed that the conference would focus on six areas critical to transforming healthcare from a sector defined by unmet needs into one that creates scalable businesses, sustainable institutions and internationally competitive services, including build, business, capital, innovation, infrastructure, and medical tourism.

According to them, “The programme will challenge participants to see healthcare not only as a social necessity, but also as a strategic national industry; one requiring builders of hospitals, specialty clinics, diagnostic centres, care networks, health-financing platforms, digital-health products, training institutions and supporting infrastructure.

“Reversing medical tourism will require more than public debate. It will require sustained investment in quality infrastructure, modern technology, specialist training, credible standards, patient experience, innovative financing and viable healthcare businesses.

The event seeks to create a forum for cross-sector collaboration between clinicians who understand patient needs, entrepreneurs who can develop solutions, investors who can finance growth, and policy and business leaders who can help create the conditions for healthcare enterprises to thrive.

“Healthcare professionals are essential, but Nigeria also needs healthcare builders. It needs people prepared to build the institutions, systems, businesses, and technologies that give patients confidence to stay, and give the world a reason to come.”