GMCE, AMCE Join Forces to Tackle Medical Tourism, Brain Drain
In a move to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and cut dependence on overseas treatment, the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence (GMCE), Abeokuta, Ogun State, and the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), Abuja, have begun discussions on strategic collaboration to tackle medical tourism, reverse the migration of healthcare professionals and expand access to specialised healthcare.
The commitment was made on Thursday when a delegation from AMCE paid a familiarisation visit to the 250-bed Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence in Abeokuta to explore partnership opportunities in specialist healthcare delivery, research, training, diagnostics and referral services.
Speaking during the visit, the Hospital Administrator of GMCE, Dr. Sunday Clement, said the hospital was established to deliver comprehensive, specialised and patient-centred healthcare comparable to global standards.
“Our vision is to provide the same quality of healthcare Nigerians seek abroad. By creating a world-class healthcare environment with advanced technology and the right personnel, we can significantly reduce medical tourism while encouraging Nigerian healthcare professionals overseas to return home,” he said.
According to him, the facility is not only investing in modern medical equipment but also in attracting, rewarding and retaining skilled professionals.
Dr. Clement disclosed that the hospital is currently operating its first phase and will expand in the fourth quarter with additional specialist services. He added that the Public-Private Partnership involving the Ogun State Government, PAC Holdings and Healthshare is designed to provide quality healthcare for all categories of Nigerians rather than only the wealthy.
He also said GMCE plans to offer advanced diagnostic services, including MRI, CT scans and pathology, while positioning Ogun State as a major healthcare destination for patients from within and outside Nigeria.
The Group Executive Director, Finance, PAC Holdings, Mr. Nentok Gomwalk, said the organisation invested in the project after recognising the enormous resources Nigerians spend on medical treatment abroad.
He noted that although healthcare investments require patience and long-term commitment, they deliver lasting national benefits.
“We were concerned about the huge amount Nigerians spend on medical tourism. A significant proportion of foreign exchange requests was once linked to overseas medical treatment. That clearly shows the need to build world-class healthcare services at home,” he said.
Gomwalk described AMCE as a valuable partner and expressed optimism that collaboration between both institutions would create mutual benefits through knowledge sharing, specialist support and institutional partnerships.
The Chief Medical Officer of AMCE, Dr. Aisha Umar, said the visit formed part of the centre’s strategy of building partnerships with leading healthcare institutions to improve patient outcomes across Africa.
She said collaboration would strengthen specialist care, reduce diagnostic delays, promote research and training and help address both medical tourism and the migration of healthcare workers.
“We are eager to collaborate as a force for good. We believe healthcare institutions achieve more through collaboration than competition,” she said.
Dr. Umar disclosed that AMCE has treated patients from 23 countries within one year of operation and is supporting the establishment of additional hospitals across West Africa. She added that the institution currently has more than 80 doctors, over 250 nurses and several specialist consultants, while continuing to invest in staff development and virtual healthcare services.
Also speaking, the Director of Business Development at AMCE, Mrs. Kehinde Oyesiku, said the institution has successfully attracted many Nigerian medical professionals back from the United Kingdom and other countries.
She said AMCE currently employs more than 50 expatriates from several countries while also recruiting experienced Nigerian specialists from the diaspora.
“Our Chief Nursing Officer returned from the UK’s National Health Service after more than 20 years, alongside several other specialists. Equipment alone cannot deliver excellent healthcare. The right people make the difference,” she said.
According to her, AMCE’s vision extends beyond Nigeria, with the goal of making Africa a preferred healthcare destination capable of competing with established medical hubs.
Established through a partnership between Afreximbank and King’s College Hospital, London, AMCE was inaugurated in June 2025 as a $300 million specialist medical institution focused on cancer, cardiovascular diseases, haematology and other non-communicable diseases.
During the meeting, both organisations identified specialist exchange programmes, diagnostic collaboration, referral network integration, joint research and professional training among key areas for future partnership.
The AMCE delegation later toured the GMCE facility to inspect its diagnostic and clinical infrastructure.
The meeting was witnessed by the Ogun State Government through Mr. Olukogbe Abiodun, who represented the Director-General of the Ogun State Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Office, alongside senior management teams from GMCE, AMCE and PAC Holdings.
