Bayelsa State Government’s spending on overseas medical trips has raised eyebrows, with N401 million expended between January and September 2025, far exceeding the N5.5 million allocated for infrastructure development at the State Teaching Hospital.
According to saharareporters.com, in contrast, the state spent N71 million on capital expenditure for the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital during the same period.
A SaharaReporters review of the Bayelsa State budget performance document for the third quarter of 2025 has shown that the government spent a sum of N401 million on international medical expenses between January and September 2025.
In the same period, only N5.5 million was spent on the capital expenditure needs of the state-owned Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital.
Previously, a review of the state’s budget performance document showed that the government spent N306 million on international medical expenses within January and September 2024.
The state had budgeted the sum of N780 million for capital expenditure for the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in the 2024 fiscal year.
Bayelsa State has a history of spending heavily on international medical expenses.
For instance, in 2023, the state spent N872.8 million on medical trips abroad.
This development comes despite calls for prudence in the management of public funds and demands for an end to medical tourism.
In February 2022, at the federal level, a bill that would impose a fine of N500 million on public officials who flout the provisions of the “National Health Act 2014” and embark on medical trips with public funds was passed in the House of Representatives for second reading.
The bill seeks to amend the “National Health Act 2014, Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No.145, Vol.101 (HB.1611).”
The lawmakers noted that the intent of the bill was to spur public officers to “pay more attention to our healthcare sector and take drastic steps to develop and improve on the sector.”
Citing Clause 2(2) of the bill, a lawmaker explained that it provides that, “Any public officer of the Government of the Federation or any part thereof who violates the provision of sub-section (1) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000,000 (five hundred million naira) or to an imprisonment term of seven years, or both.”
